Little Free Libraries: The Book Sharing Program That Grew

After more than six years of enthusiastic use, the Little Free Library (“Take a book, leave a book”) at the Mentone Post Office had seen better days. It had served the community well, with post office customers and visitors perusing the selections on their way by. While library board members and employees kept an eye on it, ready to restock when books got low, that was only occasionally necessary. The project was largely self-sustaining, with people leaving books often enough to keep up the stock.

But now the wood was weathered beneath Lydia Randolph’s lovely floral painting, and the catch on the door finally gave out. The Friends of Moon Lake Library decided it was time for a rehab for the popular little box of books. The Little Free Library (LFL) was removed from its stand at the post office, prompting a sad note affixed to its post, “We miss you!”

It had been built and installed in August 2018 by longtime library volunteer Mickey Luck, who had, months earlier, set up our first LFL at DeSoto State Park inside the general store. Then last October, the Friends of Moon Lake Library donated an LFL to the town of Valley Head. The box was built by Craig Sheldon, and Mayor Karen Vest and the town council commissioned local artist Lisa Michelle Phillips to paint it.

When the Friends of Moon Lake Library discussed their LFL projects back in the fall, they decided to register each of the three they’d established with the nonprofit organization www.littlefreelibrary.org, so that each could be added to the map of more than 200,000 little libraries in 128 countries around the globe. They approved the order of three numbered plaques, making the Mentone and Valley Head libraries “official” Little Free Libraries.

Don Highfield built a new box for the post office’s LFL and primed it and then handed it off to Lydia Randolph for repainting. The result was stunning — a colorful wrap-around painting of storybook animals and books that will delight browsers of all ages.

On March 13, the Little Free Library returned to its stand at the Mentone Post Office. And within two hours, a happy note appeared on the new plexiglass door that said “Welcome home!”

We hope that all of our Little Free Libraries serve their communities and guests for years to come, inspiring a love for reading and an appreciation of the simple act of sharing with our neighbors.