Library offers new way to share books

Melissa Baker, marketing and program coordinator for the Montgomery County Memorial Library System, stocks the Little Free Library in Conroe. Melissa Baker, marketing and program coordinator for the Montgomery County Memorial Library System, stocks the Little Free Library in Conroe. Photo: Jerry Baker, Freelance Photo: Jerry Baker, Freelance Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Library offers new way to share books 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

The Montgomery County Library System soon will add a new offering to its usual items for check-out.

Instead of just borrowing a book, selected county residents will be able to take a "Little Free Library" out on loan - and set it up in their neighborhood or in front of a business.

Melissa Baker, library marketing and program coordinator, explained that Little Free Library is a movement started by Todd Bol and Rick Brooks in Wisconsin in 2009.

Their vision was to create little boxes of books that would encourage the exchange of reading materials and foster a sense of community. The founders gained nonprofit status by 2012 - and have since inspired more than 15,000 Little Libraries to be raised in neighborhoods around the world.

"I heard about it and said we need to do this here," Baker said. "It was one of those ideas that never went away. We just had to get the ball rolling."

She presented her idea to the director of the Montgomery County Memorial Library System, Jerilynn Williams, who jumped on board.

Last March, they moved ahead on the project during planning and budgeting meetings. They ordered a pre-made Little Library in the fall and started designing signs to paste on the exterior walls.

The finishing touches and fresh coat of paint were added to the portable library in December.

The final product resembles a large birdhouse with glass windows that allow a passerby to read the book titles. If they see something they like, they can take it with them and return it later - or keep it and replace with one of their own books.

The Library Friends of Conroe sponsored the project and have agreed to help Baker fill the mini-building with its first selection of titles.

"Together we will pick the first books," Baker said. "Then customers in the community can pull a book and bring it back or bring another book. The collection itself becomes a dynamic book-sharing situation. It's an ever-changing collection."

These donated materials will be free to anyone, using the honor system and the Little Free Library mantra "Take a Book, Return a Book." Anyone in the community may donate materials at any time to the Little Library, and there are no cardholder or check-out requirements.

The Montgomery County Library System is still working out the logistics for applying to host the Little Free Library.

Baker encourages individuals, businesses and organizations to consider becoming stewards for the library's tiniest branch.

"It could be placed in a public park; it could also be in the mall," she said. "It could be in a neighborhood. It can meet a lot of different needs."

The library will travel several times a year to be temporarily installed at various publicly accessible locations throughout the county.

A contest will be held in early 2015 to determine the first applicant allowed to become temporary caretakers of the library.

Area residents will have the opportunity to propose why their particular location would be the ideal place to install the Little Free Montgomery County Memorial Library System.

Factors influencing the decision will include accessibility and popularity of the proposed site, proximity or access to one of the library branches and ability of the applicant to coordinate installation and ongoing maintenance with library administration.

Baker said the first installation is planned for early spring.

"We're still ironing out the details," she said.

Baker said she hopes that the library system inspires other county residents to follow suit,

"I'm hoping it's contagious," she said. "Now that we're getting the first one out, I think it will catch on. You can build your own – and make it as cool or complicated as you want."

The Montgomery County Memorial Library System also believes the free book exchange will promote a love of reading.

"It's a great opportunity for organizations or families who love reading to share," assistant director Sarah Booth said. "It's a wonderful way to build a continued interest in reading."

She added that the Free Little Library is also an opportunity to connect the community.

"This is another way to reach out to residents in the county," Booth said. "A lot of people think a library is just a building full of books – but we're not. We're all about the people."

She explained the library provides classes, hosts events, offers online resources and sponsors outreach programs.

"We're the heart of the community," Booth said.

For more information about the Little Free Montgomery County Memorial Library System branch, contact Melissa Baker at melissa.baker@countylibrary.org or 936-788-8377.

For more information about the library system, visit www.countylibrary.org.

Learn more about the Little Free Library movement, visit www.littlefreelibrary.org.