You can find them on busy Downtown streets, hidden in quiet suburban cul de sacs, and shaded beneath looming trees in historic neighbourhoods around the city.
Little Free Libraries; a small birdhouse looking contraption that come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours. Community members and others passing by are encouraged to open the door and discover what’s inside, free books to take home and read, whether you return them is up to the you.
Four years ago the first Little Free Library arrived in the City of Guelph, and over the last few years they have continued to pop up all over the city.
The Mitchell family moved to Guelph in 2013 from Atlanta, Georgia, bringing their family’s little library with them.
Julie Mitchell had already registered her library with LittleFreeLibrary.org, and called to change her registration to their new Guelph address.
“They told me that we were the first one’s to register a library in Guelph,” she said.
Mitchell heard about the movement ten years ago while watching CBS Sunday Morning.
“The show talked about an elderly gentleman that was so lonely after his wife died. He put up a box crate full of books to meet people,” explained Mitchell.
Mitchell loved the idea of a little box full of free books.
“After all, the best people in the world are people who loved books,” she added with a smile.
In Atlanta there were other Little Free Libraries, but the Mitchell family started a new trend when they brought their library to Guelph. Mitchell was hoping that the library would attract neighbours and act as an icebreaker for her family.
The library had to undergo some surprise alterations after arriving in Canada. The family didn’t anticipate the impact the cold weather would have on their carefully handmade library, and attached tile to the outside to make it more rugged.
Over the years the library has been well loved and nurtured by surrounding neighbours.
“We’ve met a lot of neighbours through our tiny library,” shared Mitchell.
The Mitchell family has a system that keeps their library well stocked. They swap out different books every few weeks, and have a stock inside their home of 130 cookbooks, 300 fiction and nonfiction books, and 100 children’s books.
Mitchell said that Canadians seem to favour non-fiction books, and it has been interesting to see the different reading interests of Canadians and Americans.
Neighbours and friends will also drop off books, sometimes leaving a bag full of books at the bottom of the library.
Mitchell also added that there’s a community of Little Library owners in Guelph that interact and share with each other. Owners will trade books with other owners of Little Free Libraries and share advice and stories with each other.
“I think we’ve been most pleased in Canada that there’s such a giving spirit. It’s indicative of Canadians in general. It fills your good feeling about humanity up when you see others being selfless,” Mitchell shared.
A few years ago Julie was diagnosed with cancer, and had a difficult time keeping up with stocking and organizing the books. She was surprised and encouraged by her neighbours, who chose to take over the running of the library while Julie continued and completed treatment.
One of the goals of Little Free Libraries is to encourage literacy and excite younger children about reading.
“A book is a powerful thing. We had a little boy who was struggling with reading. Someone sent us a bunch of Captain Underpants books and the little boy started reading them. It turned on a lightbulb for him and gave him confidence. Now he’s above grade level for reading,” said Julie.
Julie has enjoyed sharing conversation with others who have picked up and enjoyed books from her library, and feels that having a library available in her community has brought a stronger bond and sense of camaraderie.
“I am a big believer that not all of us can do the big gestures. But, I can do the little things to help things along,” she said of her philosophy on starting a little free library.
Little Free Libraries don’t typically operate with any rules, and Julie says she doesn’t expect the books to return, although they often do. Most people don’t abuse the system, and many are more than happy to offer books of their own that they’ve enjoyed.
“It’s a system that we believe in. Maybe it won’t change the world but it might change somebody’s day,” Julie shared.
To find out more about Little Free Libraries and find locations near you visit the Little Free Library website.
