I live around the corner from a goodwill store, and I pop in there a couple times a month. There is a woman who owns an antigues store who shops there and buys stuff for her store. There is a guy who buys jewelry to resell. He even brings a jewelers loop with him. There is a woman who buys nicknacks to resell on ebay.
My point is that, if you donate something, there is always the risk that someone will come along and try to make a few dollars off your donation.
But the majority of people are not trying to make money by patronizing a LFL, or buying a dresser at the thrift store. There are always a few people who make me purse my lips, but most people are good, in my opinion.

I hope that people who own Little Free Libraries don't get discouraged and quit. I think LFL's are a neat, sweet, neighborly endeavor at building community.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fine with me. The books are getting reused and someone is making a buck off them.

This! You could have resold it yourself if you wanted, or just let it clutter up your home. It’s 2025 — this person is getting a book into the hands of one of the few people who would truly enjoy it. How many readers are actually driving around checking little libraries for one specific title? Not many. Most are counting on resellers to find, advertise, package, and ship it to them.

But she chose to contribute them to a LFL instead. That was what she chose to do with her property.

How can she be sure that a neighbor who picks up the book uses it well? Maybe they put it on their shelf and don't ever get around to reading it. In that case, the guy with the car might be better at getting it to someone who will actually read it.

They don't have to read it or "use it well" -- all they have to do is return it, or replace it with something else. That's how LFL works.

There was a spider in the Little Library and that ended it being fun for the kids. No more.

Anonymous wrote:There is no way to know if this behavior is good or bad unless someone implements book tracking and surveys neighbors to find out if they wanted the books that were taken, and how many people got books they wanted via the reseller, and how many wanted books got trashed by the reseller as worthless.

If you want a limit on taking from LFL, post a sign with rules, and post a security camera, and report the theft.

Or put an electronic lock on it and give out individualized key codes to neighbors.

LFL was always about performative virtue signalling cuteness, not literacy.

What? My family has picked some truly great literary reads in LFLs. I think you are just a mean person.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fine with me. The books are getting reused and someone is making a buck off them.

This! You could have resold it yourself if you wanted, or just let it clutter up your home. It’s 2025 — this person is getting a book into the hands of one of the few people who would truly enjoy it. How many readers are actually driving around checking little libraries for one specific title? Not many. Most are counting on resellers to find, advertise, package, and ship it to them.

But she chose to contribute them to a LFL instead. That was what she chose to do with her property.

How can she be sure that a neighbor who picks up the book uses it well? Maybe they put it on their shelf and don't ever get around to reading it. In that case, the guy with the car might be better at getting it to someone who will actually read it.