Anonymous
08/12/2025 19:11
Subject: I figured out why Little Libraries seem to have such a capacity for taking books...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Look, most real libraries don’t want book donations because they’re not in demand. Donated books are discarded and recycled. I can’t imagine that LFL are bastions of high value literature. I’ve seen tons of graphic novels and book fair books that kids just blow through and don’t want keep. Nobody’s paying for that
yeah, but that stuff DOES have value. I'd say that about 50 percent of the stuff in our local ones (and there are tons) is stuff that would appeal to me or my kids—and especially with kids, you can't keep up w/their reading by buying, so if it's some overpriced book fair nonsense, let them read it in 10 minutes, pass it on to some other kid to do the same. etc.
50 percent is just garbage and should be thrown out.
and people should NEVER EVER put religious texts in it.
The guy who steals from LFL to stock his used book business is still about 10 rungs up the ladder from evangelicals who empty the LFL to put in their version of the bible or whatever.
Speak for yourself. I snap up the kids’ Bible stories, read them once, and pass them on. I usually return them to a FLL at a local church so they’ll get to the people who will appreciate them.
Anonymous
08/12/2025 19:11
Subject: I figured out why Little Libraries seem to have such a capacity for taking books...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If this guy empties it, there's more room for me to unload more books. For me the objective is to get the stuff out of my house.
Just throw them out then.
Why? They're good books. I'm just trying to downsize.
Either a neighbor enjoys reading them or the guy with the car gets some money when someone else wants to read them. Sounds like a win win situation for the planet.
The previous poster said their goal was to just get them out of their house. If they know that someone is going to come along, take the valuable ones and throw out the rest, why not skip the middle man and just throw them out?
NP. Why would you throw them all out instead of letting someone else figure out which ones should be thrown out and which shouldn't? I take most of my old books to the Friends of the Library Store partially so they can figure out which ones to trash.
I’m with you but PP just said they want them out of their house. Indiscriminate dumping into LFL real
I'm not putting in 35 year old accounting text books. I recycle stuff I don't think people will want.
The books I put in disappear pretty quickly. We must have good taste. I put in recent books as soon as my husband and I have both read them.
Anonymous
08/12/2025 19:06
Subject: I figured out why Little Libraries seem to have such a capacity for taking books...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If this guy empties it, there's more room for me to unload more books. For me the objective is to get the stuff out of my house.
Just throw them out then.
Why? They're good books. I'm just trying to downsize.
Either a neighbor enjoys reading them or the guy with the car gets some money when someone else wants to read them. Sounds like a win win situation for the planet.
The previous poster said their goal was to just get them out of their house. If they know that someone is going to come along, take the valuable ones and throw out the rest, why not skip the middle man and just throw them out?
NP. Why would you throw them all out instead of letting someone else figure out which ones should be thrown out and which shouldn't? I take most of my old books to the Friends of the Library Store partially so they can figure out which ones to trash.
I’m with you but PP just said they want them out of their house. Indiscriminate dumping into LFL real
Anonymous
08/12/2025 18:41
Subject: I figured out why Little Libraries seem to have such a capacity for taking books...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If this guy empties it, there's more room for me to unload more books. For me the objective is to get the stuff out of my house.
Just throw them out then.
Why? They're good books. I'm just trying to downsize.
Either a neighbor enjoys reading them or the guy with the car gets some money when someone else wants to read them. Sounds like a win win situation for the planet.
The previous poster said their goal was to just get them out of their house. If they know that someone is going to come along, take the valuable ones and throw out the rest, why not skip the middle man and just throw them out?
NP. Why would you throw them all out instead of letting someone else figure out which ones should be thrown out and which shouldn't? I take most of my old books to the Friends of the Library Store partially so they can figure out which ones to trash.
Anonymous
08/12/2025 18:29
Subject: I figured out why Little Libraries seem to have such a capacity for taking books...
A neighbor with small kids seemed to always grab items from our curb give away. Made me happy until I saw we were just a chunk of his yard sale at the end of the summer. I no longer must leave things out. I ask if anyone bid interested to email me. They never ask for anything. I know it shouldn't matter since I did not want them or try to sell them but it still annoyed me.
Anonymous
08/12/2025 18:14
Subject: I figured out why Little Libraries seem to have such a capacity for taking books...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If this guy empties it, there's more room for me to unload more books. For me the objective is to get the stuff out of my house.
Just throw them out then.
Why? They're good books. I'm just trying to downsize.
Either a neighbor enjoys reading them or the guy with the car gets some money when someone else wants to read them. Sounds like a win win situation for the planet.
The previous poster said their goal was to just get them out of their house. If they know that someone is going to come along, take the valuable ones and throw out the rest, why not skip the middle man and just throw them out?
How do we know what he's doing with them?
Anonymous
08/12/2025 18:10
Subject: I figured out why Little Libraries seem to have such a capacity for taking books...
Dana K White makes sense to me on the reselling issue.
If this guy wants to put in the work to sell the books, that's more work than I'm prepared to do. I used to take used kids clothes to a church that gave them out for free. A worker told me that people were turning around and selling them at a consignment store. Well, I wasn't prepared to go to the effort if consigning, and I'm pretty sure the clients doing this needed money more than me.
https://www.aslobcomesclean.com/2013/01/why-i-dont-care-who-sells-my-stuff/
If this guy wants to put in the work to sell the books, that's more work than I'm prepared to do. I used to take used kids clothes to a church that gave them out for free. A worker told me that people were turning around and selling them at a consignment store. Well, I wasn't prepared to go to the effort if consigning, and I'm pretty sure the clients doing this needed money more than me.
https://www.aslobcomesclean.com/2013/01/why-i-dont-care-who-sells-my-stuff/
Anonymous
08/12/2025 18:04
Subject: I figured out why Little Libraries seem to have such a capacity for taking books...
Anonymous wrote:Maybe the guy grabs all the books and brings them to a charity like the Boys & Girls Club or needs them for a classroom in an undeserved school.
Yeah.
Maybe.
Anonymous
08/12/2025 18:03
Subject: I figured out why Little Libraries seem to have such a capacity for taking books...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If this guy empties it, there's more room for me to unload more books. For me the objective is to get the stuff out of my house.
Just throw them out then.
Why? They're good books. I'm just trying to downsize.
Either a neighbor enjoys reading them or the guy with the car gets some money when someone else wants to read them. Sounds like a win win situation for the planet.
The previous poster said their goal was to just get them out of their house. If they know that someone is going to come along, take the valuable ones and throw out the rest, why not skip the middle man and just throw them out?
Anonymous
08/12/2025 18:03
Subject: I figured out why Little Libraries seem to have such a capacity for taking books...
Some people don't register their book box on the LFL website, so non-neighbors are less likely to discover ones on quiet streets.
Anonymous
08/12/2025 18:01
Subject: I figured out why Little Libraries seem to have such a capacity for taking books...
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If this guy empties it, there's more room for me to unload more books. For me the objective is to get the stuff out of my house.
Just throw them out then.
Why? They're good books. I'm just trying to downsize.
Either a neighbor enjoys reading them or the guy with the car gets some money when someone else wants to read them. Sounds like a win win situation for the planet.
Anonymous
08/12/2025 18:01
Subject: I figured out why Little Libraries seem to have such a capacity for taking books...
Maybe the guy grabs all the books and brings them to a charity like the Boys & Girls Club or needs them for a classroom in an undeserved school.
Anonymous
08/12/2025 17:59
Subject: I figured out why Little Libraries seem to have such a capacity for taking books...
Anonymous wrote:You can buy a stamp that says something like, “Little Free Library use only. Not for resale.” Apparently, used book stores honor it. You stamp it on the side of the book with across the pages.
Well... if I get a book from a LFL I should be allowed to resell it when I'm done with it. I just object to the idea that LFLs are just pick-up points for sleazy used book sellers who are going to throw out 90 percent of the books that someone intended to have go to their neighbors.
Anonymous
08/12/2025 17:57
Subject: I figured out why Little Libraries seem to have such a capacity for taking books...
There are at least 10 LFL near me. There are 3 on my square block. Some are more full than others and some clearly turn over faster. Not sure why. But, I have never seen or heard of them being cleaned out. I think it’s too bad that happens. It’s definitely not in the spirit.
Anonymous
08/12/2025 17:42
Subject: I figured out why Little Libraries seem to have such a capacity for taking books...
You can buy a stamp that says something like, “Little Free Library use only. Not for resale.” Apparently, used book stores honor it. You stamp it on the side of the book with across the pages.