There is a brick and mortar library in the neighborhood, but still, just five blocks away there is a Little Free Library, a “take a book, return a book” book exchange.

Started in 2009 by Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin, to honor his mother, the concept spread and now there are “over 36,000 registered Little Free Library book exchanges in all 50 U.S. states and over 70 countries around the world.”

Though book exchanges are not a new idea, these are maintained and registered through a community website.

The project has inspired readers and carpenters alike—the libraries are as varied as the towns and cities where they are installed. There is a delightful gallery of images on their Instagram site.

If you’re interested in knowing whether there is one in your neighborhood, the Little Free Library website includes a map page where you can look up your location. That’s where I discovered there are three within just a couple of miles of my home. The one above, I knew about. I found two more on the map and will search them out this week and will take and post photos of them, too.

UPDATE: found a lobster trap library!

Maybe there's one in your neighborhood.

This is a Calendar of Days post: February is Library Lovers' Month