Library Initiatives From Around the World - The Little Free Library


The Little Free Library movement is a community based book exchange scheme. Working on the principle of ‘leave a book, take a book’, the scheme aims to promote community arts programs, positive mental health, and most importantly, literacy, particularly amongst children. The movement began in Wisconsin, USA in 2009, by Todd Bol, but has spread worldwide since then, with now over 25,000 little libraries spread across over 70 countries.

The first little free library built by Bol was a model of a one room schoolhouse as a tribute to his mother, a former school teacher who loved reading, which he filled with books and put on a post in his front yard. These libraries are handcrafted structures, with designs that range from Bol’s very first schoolhouse model, to those of phone boxes, tree stumps, wine casks, and even the TARDIS from Doctor Who. They vary in size, but are usually big enough to contain 10 to 50 books, the majority of which are donated.

The movement is now in Ireland, started by the Free Wee Library project in Buncrana, Co. Donegal, and there are now Wee Free Libraries in Donegal, Dublin, Carlow and Clare.

For more about The Little Free Library:




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