International and Comparative Librarianship

DEDICATED TO PIONEERS   INCLUDING:
S. R. Ranganathan, P. N. Kaula, R. N. Sharma, J. F. Harvey, D. J. Foskett, J. P. Danton, M. M. Jackson, etc.
This Blogosphere has a slant towards India [a.k.a Indica, Indo, South-Asian, Oriental, Bharat, Hindustan, Asian-Indian (not American Indian)].

Tuesday, July 05, 2016

“Take a Book; Return a Book" : Little Free Libraries

Note: The Little Free Library is an organization and movement that began in Madison, WI in 2009, that has since swept the country (and the international community) with the goal of spreading free books to all.

"My Little Free Library war: How our suburban front-yard lending box made me hate books and fear my neighbors This gift from my wife was supposed to be harmless fun — but now when people stop, all I feel is dread," DAN GREENSTONE, http://www.salon.com

Extract:
Little Free Library has a seductive marketing slogan that’s carved into the top of every unit: “Take a Book; Return a Book.” Such a simple equation. And such wishful thinking. Take? Oh, absolutely. People are, in fact, really good at that part. For example there was the young mom who lifted her toddler up to the box, watching uncritically as he scooped up “Imaginary Homelands,” Salman Rushdie’s collection of criticism and essays. Which I’m sure he enjoyed.

When it comes to returning, people mean well. For example, I don’t doubt the sincerity of that young mom when she told her greedy little urchin, “We have to remember to come back soon and give them some books.” The problem is that, to borrow my favorite report card phrase, remembering, for most people, “remains an area of growth.” It’s not that I blame my (mooching) neighbors. Indeed, I, myself, seldom return books to the public library on time. And they fine you if you don’t. But since I don’t punish people (unless you count silent, withering judgment), I’ve got no leverage. The truth is laziness is just part of human nature. It’s what separates us from the beavers.
On the same shelf:
  • Free Books! How to Start a Little Free Library in Your Neighborhood by Alya Hameed
  • A LITTLE RANT ON LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES (AKA PROBABLY AN UNPOPULAR POST)
  • Little Libraries / Las Bibliotequitas
  • where to locate your neighborhood's little library
  • The Crackdown on Little Free Library Book Exchanges
  • 10 things to know before building your Little Free Library
  • Private Circulating Libraries in India


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