Little Free Library lands in San Francisco

Little Free Libraries seem to be popping up everywhere, but I had yet to run into one myself. Until today!

This little literary gem is located at a lovely home on Sutter between Pierce and Scott. A peek inside revealed a number of biographies, as well as fiction books like Ruth L. Ozeki’s “My Year of Meats.”

The premise of a Little Free Library is simple: it’s just a miniature library. Patrons may “take a book or leave a book.” These little structures may be found anywhere: in front yards, on sidewalks, at coffee shops, and even newspaper racks and  old telephone booths. Each Little Free Library holds about 20-30 books at any time.

Originally launched in Wisconsin, the Little Free Library organization’s mission is to promote literacy and the love of reading while fostering a sense of community. In August, they passed their symbolic goal of building more than 2,510 libraries around the world, and, as this discovery proves, they’re still going.

Perhaps the best thing about this network of Little Free Libraries is being able to visualize them. The folks at the Little Free Library site have compiled a huge index of Little Free Libraries worldwide and plotted them on a Google map.

As of now, the map only shows one Little Free Library in San Francisco, and it isn’t the one discovered today. According to the map, the first Little Free Library in the city is located at Kittredge School at the corner of 25th Ave. and Lake St.

You can contribute by donating to the cause, or taking things a step further and actually installing or stewarding a Little Free Library in your own community. The nonprofit offers the option to order a complete installation or kit, and also provides instructions for building one’s own.

Did you install this Little Free Library? Add yourself to the map! Meanwhile, I need to settle on a book to share.