Have you noticed people taking down their little free libraries?

[Anonymous]

Teens have been hiding gummies in them.

[Anonymous]

It can seem odd, that you are inviting kids on to your property.

An extreme example, a lady in our neighborhood put out soda and chips for delivery drivers. She lived 7-8 homes from the elementary school. She videoed the elementary kids who took items. Posted on the neighborhood facebook page that parents should keep kids off her property, the items were for delivery drivers, and she would soon be putting out Easter treats. The police were outside her house the next week, around school start time.

[Anonymous]

This is the first time Ive heard of a little free library. Are they really that popular? How do they work? Is it mainly children’s books?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the first time Ive heard of a little free library. Are they really that popular? How do they work? Is it mainly children’s books?

Have you been freeze-dried the last 20 years? Or in prison?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the first time Ive heard of a little free library. Are they really that popular? How do they work? Is it mainly children’s books?

Have you been freeze-dried the last 20 years? Or in prison?

I know there was an elementary school around here that had something like this, but I didn’t know people did this in their own front yards. How does this work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have one but I remember hearing that resellers will visit the LFL that are registered.

And so if you have an LFL don’t register it - so it’s for readers, not resellers.

Oh, I didn’t know that these libraries could even be registered.

[Anonymous]

They are a fad. Maybe the fad is ending.

[Anonymous]

really? that is really sad---

our neighborhood in Milwaukee had them every few blocks, near UWM and they were awesome. there were definitely just books in them but the neighborhood is really nice basically Mcclean inhabitants but in a walkable historic neighborhood. They were popular in pet worth and Logan circle as well. We haven't been back home for a bit.. are they not popular anymore??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not taking mine down but we honestly don't get enough foot traffic for it to work.

We’re on a corner. Ours gets a lot.

Weird thing, we ran out of the big stack of “old” books we had to get rid of, and only put about 1-2 books a month in it now, but other people drop stuff off in it all the time. It’s almost always at least half-full

That's how it should work. People stuffing them with old junk nobody wants makes them unsuccessful.

[Anonymous]

We’ve visited LFLs all over DC and in multiple states while traveling. Not all are registered but there is an app that maps those that are registered so they’re easy to find. I’ve seen some that are empty, some full of themed content that must have to be highly maintained by the owner. I’ve never had to step onto someone’s private property to reach one - they have always been reachable by the sidewalk. I’ve never seen one vandalized, or used as a trash can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the first time Ive heard of a little free library. Are they really that popular? How do they work? Is it mainly children’s books?

Are you in the DC area? The ones I've seen are mostly adult books or a mix. The mainly children's ones are usually near a rec center, school, or other kid-centric location.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NW DC near a metro. We are overrun with little free libraries. None require anyone to step onto personal property. They are all set at the edge so you just stop on the sidewalk and look at the books. I have not heard of anyone taking theirs down. While clearly some people put that should be recycled in them, overall they are well maintained and I have never heard of anyone having any issues with them.

Arlington and 100% same experience. Zero issues.

[Anonymous]

I have one (I get a lot of free books/advance copies that I pass on) and the religious nuts are the worst.

They will take all the books and leave a few pamphlets. I'm sure they think they're "saving" people from the evil witch books (fantasy) and sex (anything with a hint of romance).

Having a book box is fun, but if you draw the attention of a zealot, it gets uncomfortable.

[Anonymous]

I decided not to have one on our property and instead take books regularly to a central LFL that always seems to need books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It can seem odd, that you are inviting kids on to your property.

An extreme example, a lady in our neighborhood put out soda and chips for delivery drivers. She lived 7-8 homes from the elementary school. She videoed the elementary kids who took items. Posted on the neighborhood facebook page that parents should keep kids off her property, the items were for delivery drivers, and she would soon be putting out Easter treats. The police were outside her house the next week, around school start time.

I don't understand this. If there's a sign that the snacks are for delivery drivers, the kids shouldn't be taking them. Why would the police be there?