Little Free Libraries

I've decided I need another day of pleasantness.  I'll probably read something in one of the newspapers that will aggravate or outrage me, but that can wait until Thursday.

So, here's some good news.  A man with an idea has managed to propel that idea around the world:

It started as a simple tribute to his mother, a teacher and bibliophile. Todd Bol put up a miniature version of a one-room schoolhouse on a post outside his home in this western Wisconsin city, filled it with books and invited his neighbors to borrow them.

They loved it, and began dropping by so often that his lawn became a gathering spot. Then a friend in Madison put out some similar boxes and got the same reaction. More home-crafted libraries began popping up around Wisconsin's capital.

Three years later, the whimsical boxes are a global sensation. They number in the thousands and have spread to at least 36 countries, in a testimonial to the power of a good idea, the simple allure of a book and the wildfire of the internet. ...

Bol and Brooks, who runs outreach programs at the University of Wisconsin, see the potential for a lot more growth. At one point, they set a goal of 2,510 boxes — surpassing the number of public libraries built by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. They passed that mark this summer.

Bol and Brooks make the little library boxes and sell them.  With a little help from an AARP grant, they hope to actually make some money with the idea, and I think that's terrific.  The really terrific part of it, however, is that neighbors, kids, elders are getting a chance to read in a free and easy way.  As much as I love my kindle, I think I would get engaged in such a project.

If you click on the link provided above, you will find a picture of one of the Little Free Libraries.  And if you go here, you can get more information on the organization Bol and Brooks have formed.