With concerns around COVID-19 a priority, we want to share information with you, our valued stewards and supporters, about best practices at Little Free Library book-sharing boxes.

First, we encourage you to follow the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and your local health authorities to know what is safe for your community. They are best informed on how to keep you and your neighbors healthy.

On March 30, the CDC shared that routine cleaning and disinfection of hard, nonporous surfaces that are frequently touched is key. At your Little Free Library, these would include the handle and other surfaces touched by library visitors.

“The main point is to clean and disinfect your high-touch surfaces,” said Dr. David Berendes in a presentation hosted by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. “The good news is that this virus is extremely susceptible to many of the typical disinfectants that you’re already probably using.”

“We are not concerned at all about paper-based materials like books being a transmission route,” he continued.

In a recent update, the CDC noted that the virus spreads easily between people, but it does not spread easily from touching surfaces. The CDC advises that the best way to protect yourself—and others—is to maintain a distance of six feet, wash your hands often, and routinely clean high-touch surfaces. Learn more here.

Choosing to Close Your Library or Keep It Open

During these uncertain times, many Little Free Library stewards are weighing the question of whether or not their library should stay open.

Many stewards wish to provide a beacon of hope to their neighbors by leaving their Little Free Library open. Some continue to share books, which is more important than ever while schools and public libraries are closed. Others have converted their libraries into sharing boxes offering items like canned goods and toilet paper for neighbors in need. Passersby can then interact with the Little Free Library as they see fit. (Read about ways Little Free Library stewards are lending a hand here.)

In order to help individuals and families who may need essential supplies, we are maintaining a sharing-box map to make it easy to find sharing boxes worldwide.

Other stewards are taking extra precautions and temporarily closing their Little Free Libraries. (See one example of a steward getting creative with her library while it’s on hiatus here.) If your community is a hotspot for coronavirus activity, we recommend you temporarily suspend service at your library.

Ultimately, given the dynamic nature of what is going on, we defer to the judgement of the individual to make the decision that is best for them and their community.

“The strength of the Little Free Library network has been the wonderful individuals that volunteer to steward a Little Free Library,” says Little Free Library executive director Greig Metzger. “These engaged community members make decisions on design, placement, and how to support their library.

“We share all the information we have but defer to the wisdom of the local steward to act in accordance with what the CDC and local health authorities recommend.”