Earlier quoted context omitted.
Consider stepping out of your comfort zone.
Into the harlequin romance zone or the “Wordperfect 6 for Dummies” zone?
Sure it’s not 1985 now, but who knows what tomorrow will bring?
Little Free Library
71–80 of 107 posts
Re: Little Free Library
#72Built one of these [an oversized version] the first year I moved into my house (charter 76305), and it's been a hot spot as children (and adults) walk by it every day.
Stephen King and Patterson books tend to go quickly, as well as science fiction.
Luckily, I've been able to have a good mix of children, teenage, and adult books recycled through.
Would highly recommend having one installed/setup on a well travel sidewalk/park.
Re: Little Free Library
#73I build these and have one at my house. Its been interesting. Had some teenagers try to blow it up with fireworks. Have to constantly remove proselytizing, mostly christian, pamphlets from it. Had to buy a stamp https://littlefreelibrary.myshopify.com/products/self-inking... so drug addicts don't clear it out sell the books to buy smack. Other than hat its been mostly self sustaining.
My wife wanted one of these so bad that she fought the HOA on it to install one. It's been better than you describe, but yeah... Pamphlets, stolen books, etc. And we know they were "stolen" because if all the good books disappear at once and never return, you know someone stole them.
I've considered getting a stamp... But just haven't bothered yet. If the thefts start to really bother my wife, I'll get one.
She gets a ton of joy from seeing kids use it. And that's what really matters.
Re: Little Free Library
#74I build these and have one at my house. Its been interesting. Had some teenagers try to blow it up with fireworks. Have to constantly remove proselytizing, mostly christian, pamphlets from it. Had to buy a stamp https://littlefreelibrary.myshopify.com/products/self-inking... so drug addicts don't clear it out sell the books to buy smack. Other than hat its been mostly self sustaining.
Did the stamp work out?
Ideally, what should the stamp say?
Re: Little Free Library
#75Last time I went looking for LFL's, the map data quality was terrible. There's no way to flag a defunct location as defunct, since only the "owner" can edit their own entry. If they don't respond, it's a permanent ghost on the map.
I've taken to mapping them in OSM using amenity=public_bookcase (and amenity=food_sharing for the similar little free pantry). This way anyone can update the entries over the years.
Re: Little Free Library
#76I build these and have one at my house. Its been interesting. Had some teenagers try to blow it up with fireworks. Have to constantly remove proselytizing, mostly christian, pamphlets from it. Had to buy a stamp https://littlefreelibrary.myshopify.com/products/self-inking... so drug addicts don't clear it out sell the books to buy smack. Other than hat its been mostly self sustaining.
My wife wanted one of these so bad that she fought the HOA on it to install one. It's been better than you describe, but yeah... Pamphlets, stolen books, etc. And we know they were "stolen" because if all the good books disappear at once and never return, you know someone stole them. I've considered getting a stamp... But just haven't bothered yet. If the thefts start to really bother my wife, I'll get one. She gets…
I don't understand the meaning of the word "stolen" in this context.
I've never seen a LFL with explicit rules on who can or cannot take out the books, or what they're allowed to do with the books afterward.
If someone sees "all the good books," are they not allowed to want all the good books? What if they take them and don't get around to reading them, are they stealing them?
I understand that there's a potential tragedy of the commons with a LFL, but if I put some of my books in one, am not going to worry about whether they're being read the "right" way. Mostly I'm happy to have had a place to donate my books, and figure there's a non-zero chance they'll be read again.
Re: Little Free Library
#77Re: Little Free Library
#78Re: Little Free Library
#79Earlier quoted context omitted.
My wife wanted one of these so bad that she fought the HOA on it to install one. It's been better than you describe, but yeah... Pamphlets, stolen books, etc. And we know they were "stolen" because if all the good books disappear at once and never return, you know someone stole them. I've considered getting a stamp... But just haven't bothered yet. If the thefts start to really bother my wife, I'll get one. She gets…
I don't understand the meaning of the word "stolen" in this context. I've never seen a LFL with explicit rules on who can or cannot take out the books, or what they're allowed to do with the books afterward. If someone sees "all the good books," are they not allowed to want all the good books? What if they take them and don't get around to reading them, are they stealing them? I understand that there's a potential tr…
It means taken with the intent to resell, not to read.
Re: Little Free Library
#80I build these and have one at my house. Its been interesting. Had some teenagers try to blow it up with fireworks. Have to constantly remove proselytizing, mostly christian, pamphlets from it. Had to buy a stamp https://littlefreelibrary.myshopify.com/products/self-inking... so drug addicts don't clear it out sell the books to buy smack. Other than hat its been mostly self sustaining.
There's a little neighborhood park where I live, just down the street, where there have been 2 attempts to setup one of these. The first one was poorly constructed and the door fell off after just a couple of weeks. The second one I think the neighborhood kids broke on purpose. This, of course, after taking the books out and lighting them on fire for fun. There were charred pages all over for days. We're lucky they didn't catch the brush, of which there is plenty, on fire.
I've considered trying to build one myself, but I know it would just end up the same way.