The DU Lounge

The Velveteen Ocelot

(130,396 posts)

33. I have this:

Sat Dec 24, 2011, 05:06 PM

Dec 2011

It's called a Little Free Library. It's in my front yard right next to the sidewalk. People can take books from it and put books in it - since I put it up in October and stocked it with some books I didn't plan to keep, there has been almost a complete turnover of books - I've been surprised at how many people have been stopping and looking in it and swapping books. Just this afternoon when I was out filling bird feeders a teenage boy called out to me and asked about the library, and I told him the books were free, just take a book, read it and return it (or not), or swap it for another one. He siad, "Really? Cool, I'll go get a book for it!"

The Little Free Libraries are a community literacy initiative, started by a guy in Hudson, WI, then it spread to Madison. It's been taking off around here, too. More here: http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

110 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Post pics of your bookshelf?NO!--->Warning! Abandon hope all ye who enter! WARNING!! READ INSIDE!!! [View all] Shoe Horn Dec 2011 OP

Some of mine REP Dec 2011 #1

LOL, you're funny! Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #5

Me too! REP Dec 2011 #31

I would love to have a library like that! Luciferous Dec 2011 #39

Ok pintobean Dec 2011 #2

Thanks... ohheckyeah Dec 2011 #18

Fear of owning Kindle tooeyeten Dec 2011 #74

My daughter shared that fear. pintobean Dec 2011 #77

You can't pass a Kindle along to your friends when you're done reading a book on it. Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #106

thank you tooeyeten Jan 2012 #110

I would indeed endeavor to share.... WCGreen Dec 2011 #3

A snapshot... ellisonz Dec 2011 #4

The ones with books or the ones with everything BUT books? HopeHoops Dec 2011 #6

Yep, Timothy Leary is one of my favorite authors. Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #7

Well, for your health maybe - but alcohol is completely purged eventually. HopeHoops Dec 2011 #8

Kinda hard to worry about your mental health if you're dead. [nt] Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #9

Minor detail. HopeHoops Dec 2011 #21

I don't think I am any kind of heroic subversive but... OriginalGeek Dec 2011 #14

I do that too - mostly turn them face down or insert them in the shelf backwards. HopeHoops Dec 2011 #22

"Re-shelving" PassingFair Dec 2011 #42

No, "corrective shelving". HopeHoops Dec 2011 #43

+1,000,000 Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #44

I've been waiting 40 years for a "flashback" BiggJawn Dec 2011 #19

Hell, mine aren't even all in the same room. We've got books EVERYWHERE. HopeHoops Dec 2011 #23

So you have "stacks", too? BiggJawn Dec 2011 #27

I'd love to see a few well aimed close ups of the titles you got. Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #60

Welllllll... BiggJawn Dec 2011 #84

Sounds interesting. Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #93

Let me rephrase here: Post a picture of a whole buncha your books? Where I can see the spine? Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #10

mine is shared Enrique Dec 2011 #11

lol -Beautiful! n/t tooeyeten Dec 2011 #26

Here's one of mine: trackfan Dec 2011 #12

What...is that? That's a massive series of...something. Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #30

The red and brighter green ones are from the Loeb Classical Library; trackfan Dec 2011 #32

Of course, that only one I'm really familiar with, from all that wide range.... Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #45

There he is...11th from the right on the top shelf! trackfan Dec 2011 #51

I agree. Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #94

Horace comes to mind as a successor in lyric poetry, trackfan Dec 2011 #108

Haha, thanks for the inside scoop! btw, you read the title to this thread, right? Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #109

Little did I know when I took this photo last night Mira Dec 2011 #13

I don't have a camera, unfortinately. Odin2005 Dec 2011 #15

This message was self-deleted by its author freshwest Dec 2011 #16

OK, I'll play. MilesColtrane Dec 2011 #17

Oh, wow. Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #29

Always wanted to re-buy another copy of R.D. Laing's 'Knots', though. MilesColtrane Dec 2011 #36

Closest thing to mine I have right now 47of74 Dec 2011 #20

I don't keep my NT MCSI books on the shelf anymore. HopeHoops Dec 2011 #24

I covet your Roget's hardcover n/t tooeyeten Dec 2011 #25

The local library book store has reference books by the pound... Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #53

I swiped tooeyeten Dec 2011 #73

...local library has served me very well over the years. Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #76

Here's mine Courtesy Flush Dec 2011 #28

Hey, cool collection. Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #78

I have this: The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2011 #33

I really like that idea! They_Live Dec 2011 #35

What a great idea!!! blaze Dec 2011 #37

Reminds me of a R.Brautigan book... Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #104

What a great idea! av8rdave Dec 2011 #105

a few here... They_Live Dec 2011 #34

Just got about 5 dozen ideas from those 4 pictures. Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #52

Two former English teachers here. Book on shelves and books on floors all the freak over! WinkyDink Dec 2011 #38

Can't wait, this has been a goldmine for me.[nt] Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #95

Here's mine...First the ones on my computer table, and then the big ones... CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #40

Sooo... progressoid Dec 2011 #47

My dear progressoid... CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #48

Beautiful! blueamy66 Dec 2011 #66

Your study looks a lot like mine ... BlueMTexpat Dec 2011 #87

You mean on my desk? Nope... CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2011 #88

My "nook". PassingFair Dec 2011 #41

Very nice, what are those? Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #98

The tan ones are the 1911 Handy Volume Encyclopedia Brittanica 11th edition, and the red ones are... PassingFair Dec 2011 #107

I've got too many.....but I'll play my organized mess. Historic NY Dec 2011 #46

An immense and yet specific library. Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #56

This message was self-deleted by its author Historic NY Dec 2011 #85

Good stuff. Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #96

LOVE blueamy66 Dec 2011 #67

Yes they do have smell ..... Historic NY Dec 2011 #86

that's what I'm talking about blueamy66 Dec 2011 #101

Some new books smell like poo poo though. Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #97

I cannot say that I have ever smelled that.... blueamy66 Dec 2011 #102

First noticed it when I was a kid. Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #103

Well, what can I say? Xicano Dec 2011 #49

Awesome. Love your taste in subjects. Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #57

Thanks Shoe Horn Xicano Dec 2011 #81

No pics. It's 4 stacks of milk crates 8 feet high in a storage unit. Edweird Dec 2011 #50

:-( Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #58

Okay, but remember...you asked for it! (37 Pictures) Neoma Dec 2011 #54

An eclectic collection. All over the place, really. Great stuff. Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #55

A life's work? Neoma Dec 2011 #59

My sincere apologies, madame. Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #70

Oh goodness, there really aren't that many... Neoma Dec 2011 #82

LOL. Whatever Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #99

By the way... Neoma Dec 2011 #63

What's the title exactly? Believe it or not, there's like 6 books on 'the history of the banana'. Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #75

Banana by Dan Koeppel Neoma Dec 2011 #80

Thanks. Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #92

Holy crap! blueamy66 Dec 2011 #69

Eh, I've known people with more... Neoma Dec 2011 #79

That would take a dozen photos. hobbit709 Dec 2011 #61

And?! Do it. Do it now.............................(WARNING: SEXYx100 Ahead) Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #71

you should put a warning on that picture hobbit709 Dec 2011 #72

no can do..... madrchsod Dec 2011 #62

This message was self-deleted by its author Tesha Dec 2011 #64

I hate people looking over my shoulder.......LOL. Historic NY Dec 2011 #83

I'd have to photograph my public library ensho Dec 2011 #65

here ya go blueamy66 Dec 2011 #68

Here's mine. They told me to check for leaks a while back. RedCloud Dec 2011 #89

I love this thread. RainDog Dec 2011 #90

Odd bookshelf picture Dystopian Dec 2011 #91

Cool. Shoe Horn Dec 2011 #100