A Shreveport, Louisiana, man who wished to share his abundance of books with neighbors and passersby created a lemonade stand-type kiosk at the edge of his front yard so that interested readers could help themselves with a quick stop near the curb. The plan was to make the books free to take away and return, because the man behind the plan was interested in reading — not money.

But the city shut him down after a single anonymous complainer reported the activity. Officials with the Caddo Parish Metropolitan Planning Commission sent a cease-and-desist letter to Shreveport resident Ricky Edgarton, citing an alleged violation of a zoning ordinance that regulates “commercial activity” in residential zones.

From Watchdog.org:

Ricky Edgarton told Louisiana Watchdog he doesn’t make a cent from his makeshift library. Caddo Parish officials, however, still regard it as a commercial enterprise and last month sent a cease-and-desist letter to his house. The now-retired Edgarton, who said he has so many books at his home that he and his wife need a rolling ladder to reach them all, established the Little Free Library. “When it said to cease any activity, I could have just taken the books out and brought them inside, but instead, for effect, I put a padlock around it,” Edgarton said. Other Shreveport residents have set up similar libraries in front of their homes, but MPC officials have singled out Edgarton.

Edgarton set up the kiosk in the spirit of the “Little Free Library” movement, whose goal is as uncomplicated as its name: make reading materials available to borrow and return, for free, from a ubiquity of community-driven lending locations. “In its most basic form, a Little Free Library is a box full of books where anyone may stop by and pick up a book (or two) and bring back another book to share,” the program’s website explains.

Edgarton told Watchdog.org that it will cost him $500 to appeal the city’s order — even though he believes his library does not fall under the residential zoning restrictions for a “commercial” enterprise.

City enforcers disagree, noting that the ordinance not only limits the type of activity that can take place in the R-1H residential zone, but where on the property that activity can legally occur.

“Libraries are only allowed in our B-2 commercial zoning,” said planning commission director Mark Sweeney. “… but the key issue here, more than anything else, is that under our ordinance, where it talks about accessory buildings and structures, well, those can only be located in the backyard.

“They can’t be located in the side or front yard of a residence. That’s the key issue.”

At least he — and that concerned anonymous neighbor — are diligent.