There’s a movement under way - locally and worldwide – that promotes literacy and community through simple means. The Little Free Library (LFL) is a “take a book, return a book” spot where neighbors share their favorite literature and stories. In its most basic form, a Little Free Library is a box (similar to a large birdhouse) full of books where anyone may stop by and pick up a book or two and bring back another book to share.

“My husband built our Little Free Library for my birthday,” said Lynnie Thieme of Pawcatuck. “I got involved because I love to read and wanted to share that with my neighborhood. I’m always sharing book recommendations with friends…this was a way to offer something more tangible to the entire community.”

Thieme’s neighbor, Alice Brannegan, frequents the Little Free Library when out on walks with her three-year old. “There’s something for everyone in it,” said Brannegan. “There are young adult and children’s books. I had never heard of a Little Free Library until Lynnie’s appeared. I think it’s a great way to share books and a love of reading.”

The movement began in 2009 when Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin, built a model of a one-room schoolhouse as a tribute to his mother, a former schoolteacher who loved reading. He filled it with books and put it on a post in his front yard. His neighbors and friends responded very positively – so Bol built several more and gave them away. Each one had a sign that read FREE BOOKS.

Meanwhile, Rick Brooks of the University of Wisconsin-Madison learned of Bol’s do-it-yourself library project when the two were discussing potential social enterprises. Together, they saw an opportunity to achieve a wide variety of goals for the common good.

By January 2014, the total number of registered Little Free Libraries in the world was conservatively estimated to be nearly 15,000, with thousands more now being built.

“You can build your own or purchase a kit from the Little Free Library website (littlefreelibrary.org),” said Brandi Glaza of Mystic, a steward of a LFL. “We built ours from materials we had around the house.”

Using recycled materials designed and decorated by neighborhood groups and watched over by volunteer stewards, each little “habitat for the humanities” turns over its collection several times a month. People seem to love the idea. The books are free, given by neighbors from their own collections, used bookstores, authors and others who love the sense of community that the Little Free Libraries create.

“The idea is to spread the goodwill and let everyone benefit from the books. You can take a book, leave a book, or both! It’s all about promoting literature,” said Glaza. “Our community has had only positive things to say about it. Our LFL was pretty much self sustaining within the first two months.”

Involved in the project for over a year now, Glaza has a very busy little library. “We have a nice mix of genres for all ages. We even receive thank you notes in our Little Free Library.”

For Sandi Davis of Pawcatuck, the project provided a chance to give back to the community. A retired teacher, Davis was excited to get involved with something that could link her interests in literacy and building community – and finding a use for some of the books she had collected through the years was just the icing on the cake.

“The response from the neighborhood has been very supportive,” Davis said. “I have journals in each box for readers to comment in, and the responses have been very heartwarming.”

Davis maintains two boxes: one for children’s and young adult books, and the other for more mature readers. “While there is never a line waiting to get into the boxes, there are some pretty loyal readers who borrow books and who also donate some,” she said. “There are several children who are regulars at the box and I get excited every time I see them.”

It’s been a very enjoyable experience, according to Davis, who chats with readers stopping by when she’s outside her home, sharing how much they appreciate the project.

“It’s been working out well,” said Lynnie Thieme. “We get a lot of walkers through our neighborhood and it’s fun to see the reaction people have to the library. Most of the visitors to the library are the kids of the neighborhood–which is great. We have a lovely community and it’s a pleasure to share something with them.”

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This story first appeared in the fall issue of Sound & Country, a seasonal magazine produced by The Day.