Little Free Library Boxes

The Little Free Library on my block is a wooden box on a post, about the size of a mailbox, with a glass door and 2 shelves of books inside. The community around it is more active than I expected. People leave books they've finished and take books that interest them. Selection turns over completely every 2 or 3 weeks. Someone in the neighborhood built the box and painted it dark blue with a small peaked roof. It sits on the strip of grass between sidewalk and street, catching the eye of anyone walking by. I've found 3 good novels in it this year, books I wouldn't have sought out at a store or library. The randomness of the selection is part of the appeal. The Little Free Library organization started in 2009, and there are now over 150,000 registered boxes worldwide, each maintained by a local steward who keeps it stocked and in good repair. The system works on trust. No card, no due date, no tracking. Just a box of books and an implicit agreement that the community will keep it alive.