Little Free Library Locations Around the World

Little Free Library Rochester

Reading books is one of my passions and at one time I had two bookshelves in my house filled with hundreds of books that I read and was planning to read. I have always been a proponent of reading and getting kids to start reading when they are young. In fact, I used to send my nieces and nephews new books every month when they were little. But, for those who don’t have a lot of money or access to town libraries, you can find Little Free Library Locations all over the world.

Little Free Library Rochester

What is the Little Free Library?

The Little Free Library is a non-profit organization that fosters the love of reading in communities by offering the opportunity for you to build or buy a library. You can put this library in your community to have a local book exchange and allow everyone access to get their hands on books to read. Did you know that a child growing up in a home without books is on average three years academically behind children that have grown up with tons of books in their home? One of the most successful ways to improve a child’s reading level is to increase their access to books.

The very first Little Free Library showed up in Hudson, Wisconsin in 2009. Since its inception, millions of books each year have been exchanged through these libraries. There are over 90,000 Little Libraries in over 90 countries around the world. Here are some of the Little Free Libraries I have come across in my travels.

Rochester, MichiganLittle Free Library Rochester

I love the town that I used to live in. Rochester is a larger city with small-town charm and it loves its libraries. Besides the main town library that even has a community bookmobile, there are a couple of Little Free Libraries that I have found around. One of them is in the Rochester Municipal Park (see the first photo) and another is on Main Street. I love that you get to decorate your library and these two are cute! Rochester definitely wants you to have all the access you need to get your hands on a book to read.

Memphis, Tennessee Little Free Library Memphis

Walking in Memphis, I came across a Little Free Library right in the downtown area. It was attached to a building on Main Street at the corner of Vance Ave. I liked the paint job to make it look like a birdhouse. Although the library needed a few more books to fill it up. I only hope that it was slightly empty cause everyone was reading the books that they took from there.

Providence, Rhode IslandLittle Free Library Providence

On a layover for a flight, I explored Providence, Rhode Island and found this Little Free Library by Burnside Park. At first, it looks like a newspaper stand, except for the large bold letters stating that it is part of the Little Free Library organization. I’m not a fan of just tossing books on top of each other, I would prefer them to be standing to protect the binding. But, I’m still glad to see that it is here.

Pardubice, Czech RepublicLittle Free Library Pardubice, Czech Republic

Finding a free library in the Czech Republic was a pleasant surprise. I found this library immediately after going through the Pardubice Chateau Gate walking from the Pardubice Chateau and next to the Empírová kaÅ¡na. I didn’t realize that this concept was worldwide until then. I’m not sure that these are in the same organization as the Little Free Libraries but, I’m ecstatic to see them regardless. Language barriers should not be a deterrent for book access. And if I had more time I so would have loved to open that door and peruse the library for anything interesting that I could have taken to try my hat at learning more of the Czech language. I did that once to learn French. I wrote down a passage of Cinderella from a French book and I still have it to this day.

Trento, ItalyLittle Free Library Trento, Italy

Another great find on my travels happened in Trento, Italy. A group of travel bloggers and I were walking to another event and turned down a side street by S. Martino filled with cafes and shops and saw this library on the street. How ingenious! It was built right into a tree with a wood stand and four wooden characters designed to be the bookends to hold the books up. I only recognized one as Pinocchio the other three I couldn’t figure out who they were supposed to be.

Take a Book, Return a Book

I love that these Free Libraries come in all shapes and sizes, but the similar trait between all of them is “Take a Book, Leave a Book”. The Little Free Library is a great way to get a book in every child’s hands which is something that I cannot say enough is needed in this world. Reading a book expands your mind and opens you up to so many possibilities. If you are interested in starting one in your community, start here. I will continue to update this post when I come across more of these free libraries on my travels.

I love this organization and I hope that it continues to expand in every community around the globe. And if you happen to see one of these libraries, go ahead and drop in a few books that you have already read. Share the love of reading with someone else!

Have you seen a Little Free Library in your neighborhood? Drop a picture of it in the comments. Let’s show the world how we can all connect through reading and books!

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Further Reading

If you enjoy books, check out these posts for further travel inspiration:

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