Street libraries go by many names: outdoor reading room, neighbourhood book exchange, little library. Basically, it’s a book-sharing space, usually a wooden box on a stand with a see-through door. There’s no membership. No official checking out of books. You don’t have to even bring the book back.
But it’s more than that. It’s a space for the community to come together, a shared spot to stop and have a chat, to save some cash, or just a chance to see what Dianne from bookclub is really reading.
In Australia, their popularity exploded during Covid lockdowns. Along with teddy bears in windows for impromptu ‘bear hunts’, little libraries sprung up on the streets, as people, with nothing else to do, looked to do something, anything, to make the world a better place. And it worked.
As a die-hard sticky beak, there is nothing I love more than peering through the little perspex windows during a walk. But how do you pinpoint the start of a movement? It’s tricky, but according to Australia-based, not-for-profit Street Library, they based their model on one already operating in America, Little Free Libraries.
Founder Nic Lowe built and installed his first Street Library in November 2015 out the front of his house in Newtown. As to why he wanted to get the program off the ground he says, “Well, it’s a great community project based around something I love (books) and I believe that books are the foundation of all knowledge.
"In these times of digital overload, we forget that long-form literature can express complex and nuanced ideas, concepts and stories that enrich our lives in ways a 20-word Facebook post can’t.”
Their motto is: "Take a book, give a book, share a book." And that probably sums up what makes community book exchanges so fabulous: there's a real trust in, and care for, the community.
While there’s no need to register your library, you can do so as part of the Street Library program and, by doing so, you allow others to be able to search for and find yours, even if you’re hidden away. But part of me really enjoys the fun of just stumbling across someone’s project. It's like a little insight, into the hearts and minds of people I don't know.
If you're keen to build your own library, here’s some plans for a simple set up
