If you build it, they will come … and read and exchange a book.

A few weeks ago, I organized a community event to raise money to build a Little Free Library for my neighborhood. The kids in our community worked together to raise money and donated their proceeds toward the Little Free Library.

Some of the items that the kids made and sold were hair scrunchies, cookies, lemonade, lip balm, and bookmarks made out of origami. This event brought the whole community together, and it was wonderful to see our neighbors and friends come and support the kids and this wonderful cause. We had our local horticulturist and a master gardener to help with any gardening-related questions that people had. We even had a DJ and food trucks, which made the event more fun.

Having events like this definitely brings the whole community together. It is also an opportunity to meet new people, make new friends, and definitely helps in getting to know your neighbors better.

Does your neighborhood have a Little Free Library? If your answer is no, read on to see how you can get a Little Free Library. A Little Free Library is a “take a book, return a book” free book exchange. The Little Free Library comes in different shapes and sizes, but they are basically a small wooden box with books. Having a Little Free Library encourages reading, inspires others to exchange the books and the love of reading.

So, how do you get this Little Free Library?  Here are some tips to help you:

• Identify a Location:
  Find a place that you can install the library legally. You might have to get permission from your HOA (Homeowners Association) before installing the library. Find a place where it is visible and has a lot of foot traffic.
• Gather Support:
  Little Free Libraries can be expensive to buy and build. Get your community, friends and neighbors to help raise funds for the library. Have a fundraising event within your community and get your neighbors and friends involved and raise money for the library. You can contact local businesses and ask them to help donate money or books for the Little Free Library.
• Get a Library:
  You can either build a library or buy one through the Little Free Library website, littlefreelibrary.org. If you decide to build a library, there are blueprints and instructions on the website to help you build it. If you choose to purchase one through their online catalog (like I did), there are many different sizes and shapes to choose from.
• Register Your Library:
  By registering your library, your library becomes an official Little Free Library. You can also add your library to the world map that people can use to find and visit your library.
• Celebrate!
  Now that you have your library installed, have a grand opening ceremony! Invite friends, neighbors and people from your community. Have a ribbon-cutting ceremony, have some snacks, and have bookmarks for kids to make and color, which can be left inside the Little Free Library for others to use.

When I had my event to raise money for the Little Free Library, the children in my community worked hard creating their items to be sold at the event. They were excited because they not only made cookies, lemonade, bookmarks, scrunchies, and more, but they also made posters that advertised their products.

The children were also excited because they all worked together and donated all of their proceeds for a wonderful cause. They were excited to have a place where they could read in their neighborhood and exchange books with their friends and neighbors. Some of the kids also wanted to start a book club in the neighborhood.

By building a Little Free Library with your friends and neighbors, it will bring your community together. It is also a wonderful community project to work together, which will be appreciated by all.