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Ever
since the Steiny Road
Poet's mother found a
stash of abandoned
Wizard of Oz books in
the cellar of an
apartment that her
family had moved
into—Steiny was
going on nine years
old—she relished
the prospect of
discovering free books.
The family budget could
barely feed and clothe
her growing family and
trips to the public
library were not a
priority. Who knew when
there would be time to
return books and avoid
fines?
During the pandemic,
Steiny spent a huge
amount of time reading.
Imagine her delight
when she realized her
neighborhood walks went
by several Little Free
Libraries. Not only was
it a good way to find a
book to read with no
strings attached (no
one asking you to pay
for it or to hurry up
and return it), but
also it was an amazing
way to recycle books.
Best of all during the
pandemic, you were
outside where no one
was breathing on
you.
In 2009, Todd Bol built the first Little Free Library in Hudson,
Wisconsin, as a tribute to his book-loving mother who had worked
as a school teacher. The first book box looked like a one-room
schoolhouse. He and his partner Rick Brooks subsequently built
more of these boxes and took them to Minneapolis, Madison, and
Chicago where its popularity took off. Bol wanted to establish
2,510 Little Free Libraries to beat Andrew Carnegie's record of
founding libraries in the United States. By 2012, he achieved that
goal and he applied for and received 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.
Among the many objectives of the Little Free Library organization
is the desire to provide books to underserved communities such
as those with native Americans and migrants. It also encourages
that everyone, including children, has access to books supporting
diverse authors and topics. As of March 2025, there are over
200,000 registered Little Free Libraries in all 50 states of the
United States and in 128 countries and on all seven continents.
The organization estimates that over 400 million books have been
shared. If the book box is registered, it's easy to locate nearby
boxes through their website. Even Steny's sisters who live in south
Texas backwaters can walk to a Little Free Library.
In 2014, Steiny's grandson at five years old asked his dad if
Grammy lived in a "book house" because her living space has
walls lined with bookshelves—bookshelves bursting with books.
OK, Steiny, grab two books to share for every one book taken
from a Little Free Library out there on that yellow brick road.
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Writings
