Today is the inaugural National Little Free Library Day, marking the beginning of Little Free Library Week, May 17–23. This day also commemorates my 10th anniversary of being a steward of my own "Little Bird Feeder for Humans". This is a day worth celebrating!

Observed on the anniversary of Little Free Library becoming a nonprofit in 2012, May 17 highlights the organization’s mission to build community, inspire readers, and expand book access via their global network of more than 200,000 book-sharing boxes. Through this nonprofit program, thousands of Little Free Libraries and books are provided to individuals and organizations in “book deserts”—areas with limited or no access to reading materials.

I actually hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony when my library was installed. The attendees were all literary and all very amazing (L to R) Dr. Peter Mires, Karen Cutter, me, Gary Noy, Stephen Robison, Joanne & Gene Abshier and Steve.
The most powerful indicator of my Library's worth came during COVID. Our public library was closed for quite some time. Everyday, I'd look out my kitchen window and see customers. Some would socially distance themselves while waiting patiently.
Others would arrive cutely dressed with matching face coverings. I took great joy watching readers depart with a literary distraction.

I have seen Little Free Libraries all over during our travels. This one, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, has to be my favorite. Talk about a giving tree! When this 110-year-old cottonwood tree needed to be removed, Sharalee Armitage Howard—a librarian, artist, and bookbinder—transformed it into an amazing Little Free Library. Now, instead of providing shade, the tree shares books. How incredible!

I have written about Little Free Libraries before. I'm especially excited about them now because when we return home, I will have my very own waiting for me (thank you so much Mike and Kim).

 I cannot wait to fill this when I'm home! So exciting.
These little bird feeders for humans began in 2009 by Todd Bol and Rick Brooks. Together, they saw opportunities to achieve a variety of goals for the common good. They were inspired by many different ideas, one of which was Andrew Carnegie’s support of 2,509 free public libraries around the turn of the 19th to 20th century. Todd and Rick's goal was to build 2,510 Little Free Libraries—as many as Andrew Carnegie—and keep going. Their goal was reached a year and a half before their original target date. By January of this year, the total number of registered Little Free Libraries in the world was conservatively estimated to be over 36,000.
The first Little Free Library in Charleston was this one, installed in 2012 by Fred Herrmann. Part of his motivation was that his house had become overrun with books. In no time, his books were jumping off the shelves. Then his neighbors started coming by to leave their books to help keep the idea sustainable.
This one was started by Sherry, a retired elementary school librarian. The English phone booth was inspired by her many trips to England, leading student tours into the world of Harry Potter. I took a book and left a book at this library. The next day we walked by just as a couple was withdrawing the book I actually left. How cool is that!?
Today's find was at Grace Church. This library was a donation of a parishioner. Its colors greatly resemble the church it is next to. 
So of all the Little Free Libraries we have seen, this has to be my favorite. Not only is it huge, but each genre is stored in a mailbox, thus combining two of my loves- mail and books. How totally ingenious and awesome. The mission of the Little Free Libraries is to promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges, worldwide, and to build a sense of community as they share skills, creativity and wisdom across generations. I have witnessed this firsthand here in Charleston. I can't wait to see what my own Little Free Library generates.

As a steward of my own Little Free Library, I get a monthly newsletter sharing other stewards' Libraries of Distinction. I had to share this one.

The historic Vail Ranch Headquarters, here in Temecula, is home to a darling Little Free Library.

Before

This geared towards children library has seemed a little unloved. Knowing that, I brought books from my own stash to share with the local children here.
What fun to tidy and restock this Temecula treasure. I 💗 Little Free Libraries... everywhere!

After

“I really believe in a Little Free Library on every block and a book in every hand. I believe people can fix their neighborhoods, fix their communities, develop systems of sharing, learn from each other, and see that they have a better place on this planet to live.” -Todd H. Bol, LFL Founder

Wherever I travel, I always bring extra books to donate at any Little Free Library I might find. Today's travels gave us extensive opportunities to peruse and to give.

The spirit of these boxes of pure literary joy is to leave a book behind, or to take a book with you when you pass by, or both. Or neither, if you don’t have any reading material to share and nothing available catches your interest. Chances are if you visit again in a day or two the selection will have changed, so keep trying!



Man cannot live on books alone...

I have been a huge fan of these "human bird feeders" for years. Today marks one decade of Little Free Libraries and I am taking part in THE BIG SHARE this weekend in St. George, Utah (Charter #71252).

You can be a part of the party, too. It's easy to participate! Just visit a Little Free Library book-sharing box (use the world map to find one near you), share a book, then snap a photo of your visit and post it on social media with #LFL10. Or just delight in the sharing of a love of books.

I love Little Free Libraries and have written about them quite a few times. Today's post is an extra special one because I'm writing about my own "human bird feeder".

Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization that inspires a love of reading, builds community, and sparks creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges around the world. Through Little Free Libraries, millions of books are exchanged each year, profoundly increasing access to books for readers of all ages and backgrounds. My sweet little one was created by Mike and given to me as a gift, almost two years ago and we have just now installed it.

The timing could not have been more perfect, based on the attendees that were there for the ribbon cutting- all literary and amazing. (L to R) Dr. Peter Mires, Karen Cutter, me, Gary Noy, Stephen Robison, Joanne & Gene Abshier and Steve.

Since we were so close to this special town where our special friends, Dave and Barb, live, we came for a two night sojourn.

This was what we were greeted with. Most of the town acted like it was July 2019, vs 2020 and the time of COVID. It was a little disheartening but we were cautious and our friends are pro-maskers like us!
Even the moose in the library was wearing a mask (though it was only recommended, not mandatory).
The Public Library sits on the edge of an amazing park. Throughout are these Storywalk signs with a children's story meandering about. So very, very cool.
The entire town is enriched with public artwork. I was pretty smitten by George Lundeen's The Valentine.
Not to offend any other Little Free Library steward, but this might be my favorite, thus far. Talk about a giving tree! When this 110-year-old cottonwood tree in Coeur d’Alene needed to be removed, Sharalee Armitage Howard—a librarian, artist, and bookbinder—transformed it into an amazing Little Free Library. Now, instead of providing shade, the tree shares books.

History lessons are found in the public artwork, which I find intriguing. In the late 1800s, the logging center of the United States shifted from the East Coast to the Northwest because forests were being depleted in the east. By 1910, Idaho was producing and distributing 745 million board feet annually.

The Coeur d’Alene region is very steep, so loggers had to cut down trees and transport logs up the hill to a log deck and load them onto some type of transporter: river/road/railway.

By the 1920s, there were more than 20 logging railroad systems in the mountains around Coeur d’Alene. It was also a major site for flumes. There were 35 flume projects in the area adding up to 150 miles of transport. Oh man, so much history!
Also here was Fort Sherman (1878–1900). Who knew? General William T. Sherman (1820–91) had recommended the site in north Idaho after an inspection tour. It began as a camp the next year, became Fort Coeur d'Alene in 1879, and the adjacent city grew. Its named changed, in honor of the General in 1887, three years after his retirement from the U.S. Army. The fort became unoccupied during the Spanish–American War and was abandoned shortly thereafter. We'll explore more on our return to this interesting city.
This wall puzzled us and we had to ask the groundskeeper about it. It's a seawall, built by the Army Corp of engineers back in the early 1940s. The wall is designed to be assembled in the event of a massive flood when crews would install hundreds of steel beams and then place over one thousand beams of wood on them. The city says it's all necessary in the event if a big flood were to ever happen there.
This image is from a practice run of installing the seawall. What a bunch of work.
I found this to be hysterical, "Water for your dog OR for you. We don't judge!!!"
You have to love a town that lists today's reason to celebrate as Gorgeous Grandma Day.
And how cool is this 21-foot sundial gnomon? It was totally accurate by the way (less the hour difference due to daylight savings time).

What a wonderful tucked away mural, Memories From My Childhood by Rolf Goetzinger. Mr. Goetzinger said, "As Coeur d' Alene is a Happy Place for all who experience the magnificently unique setting, my desire is to create a mural that connects the city's past with today and has a positive effect on its future." Works for me!
Again, nature was evident everywhere.

Oh did I mention the lake? Coeur d’Alene Lake is the second largest lake in northern Idaho, caught in a beautiful mountain setting created when great lobes of the continental ice cap receded during the last Ice Age. The lake is over 26 miles long with some 135 miles of shoreline, dotted with numerous parks, campgrounds, beaches, trails, recreational facilities and amazing homes. More about that tomorrow as we'll be boating then!