Little Free Libraries & Tiny Sheds

I love Little Free Libraries! Ages ago, I was active on BookCrossing.com which encouraged leaving books in "the wild" (random places) to be found by happenstance and hopefully enjoyed and released again to be enjoyed by others. It was a lot of fun seeing where books went, but these days, I stick with leaving books in one of several Little Free Libraries in my neighborhood I pass daily while out walking my dogs. I love that these sites give readers a perfect way to share the books where they'll be sheltered from the weather or being tossed in lost and found (or the trash) and a great way to find a new read you may never have come across otherwise. While our city and county library systems are awesome and I visit my local branch weekly, anything that encourages more readers is a great thing! One of the LFLs near me regularly has a selection of children's books in addition to the more commonly found books aimed at adults. The goal of LFLs is "to plant seeds of literacy and community" and I hope the books I share this way can aid in that goal.

This book includes not only detailed instructions for building and installing a dozen different small structures, but also plenty of color photographs from which to draw inspiration for your own structure. I loved flipping through to see all the creative structures people have built to be used as Little Free Libraries, storage, etc.

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group - Cool Springs Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wonderful instructive book. Very detailed instructions on how to build a structure and what materials to use -- or even reuse.

This is part practical step by step guide (and assembly manual for their own product) and part philosophical information about building a little library or community drop box where you are. It’s clear, well written, slightly Americanised, well, it is American! The parts about why these are necessary, how rewarding they are and the practical tips about stewardship are much better than the step by step parts.

On the whole, a comprehensive guide to doing something you have already decided on doing. A bit too specific for the casual purchaser.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from Netgalley.com and the publisher. Thanks to both for the opportunity to read and review.

Little Free Libraries & Tiny Sheds is a wonderful how to book to make your own for your community. They have put together a volume that is beautifully photographed with clear instructions on how to build one of your own.

Excellent book. Highly recommended.

5 out of 5 stars.

This is a nice book for those who are a bit curious abot Free Little Libraries. It has great tutorials on DIY libraries and lots of great photos of finished libraries.

Little Free Libraries & Tiny Sheds is a concise design and tutorial guide to building your own tiny structure for a book, tool, seed, or other exchange. Released 9th April 2019 by Quarto on their Cool Springs imprint, it's 176 pages and available in ebook and paperback formats.

This edition is heavily slanted toward Little Free Libraries, with an introduction by the LFL founder, Todd Bol (who sadly passed away in Oct 2018, prior to the publication). It is well illustrated throughout, with many photographs of variations of microstructures, as well as addons to make them more accessible or increase functionality, such as guest books, request lists, lighting, areas for community info and much more.

There is a wealth of information about repurposing existing structures or modifying and building your own. The tutorial build guides include full materials and hardware lists as well as a step by step guide to building, installing, and weatherproofing the structures. The introductory building chapter covers some tools and safety information as well as a bit on sheet metal use (for weatherproofing).

There's a really nice gallery chapter showing some variations on the basic little library theme as well as a basic micro-shed build tutorial for holding garden tools or other outdoor items.

None of the builds looked to be beyond the capabilities of a keen amateur with access to a few easily sourced tools. There's a metric/English conversion list and a short index at the end of the book.

Five stars. Really wonderful and worthwhile project to increase literacy and connectivity in the local community.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Little Free Libraries and Tiny Sheds is a great find! I am a Girl Scout leader and we are always looking for projects to better our community and this fits right in. This book Has detailed instructions for dozen different small libraries, and an assortment of photographs showing potential design ideas. I can’t wait to share it with my Troop and make some amazing little libraries.
Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!

‘Little Free Libraries & Tiny Sheds’...a delightful and instructional look at making your own Little Free Library.

I’m speechless at the amount of detail in the building plans for each project, and, knowing a small amount about woodworking myself, feel these are all very doable – as long as you have the right equipment.

Also, as someone obsessed with having her own LFL, I am love looking at images of other people’s tiny libraries...and this book does not disappoint. This section was definitely my favorite – especially the unconventional ones like the newspaper boxes and British phone booth.

My only complaint is that there seemed to be a lot of white space; though, that might have just been the digital version I was reading.

If you’ve been thinking about getting your own Little Free Library, this book will be a wonderful resource – not only for building plans, but also for ways to fully utilize the box within your neighborhood, school, or community.

Thank You to Quarto Publishing and NetGalley for this digital copy to read and review!

What a fabulous idea, a community place to share your finished books or anything else one has to share. And what wonderful little structures to make it so much more fun. Every country, state or town will have laws that allow or disallow this type of sharing, but it is certainly worthwhile to see if it can be done. Regardless the structures are super cute and useful for all sorts of things and there is good instructions on material, tool and extensive information on how to build one, or adapt and recycle. Really like the ideas and certainly worth a look for other type of storage.

This is a very detailed book for those who want to build their own Little Free Library. Color photos are provided throughout, along with detailed materials and tools lists and step-by-step directions with pictures. There are also lots of pictures of LFLs around the world. I would have loved some examples of more repurposed designs and quirkier ones (they all had a similar look) but these are really well planned out. After reading through it, I'm not sure I have the right tools or knowledge to really build one even though that's been one of our goals for this summer. I would have appreciated a real beginner project, especially one suited for kids learning woodworking and those with few tools. One of the projects involved repurposing a kitchen cabinet and that's the direction I'd like to go in, but it still involved a lot of work. I need the absolute beginner version. :) All that said, this is a fantastic book and well worth it for anybody looking to build a LFL.

My rating system:
1 = hated it
2 = it was okay
3 = liked it
4 = really liked it
5 = love it, plan to purchase, and/or would buy it again if it was lost

I read a temporary digital ARC of the book for the purpose of review.

This is a very comprehensive and helpful guide for building and designing free little libraries. I have loved the free little library movement and appreciate that there is now a book for those who want to build one. This how-to guide is very handy with step-by-step instructions on how to build your own free little library. There are 12 different options to choose from with very detailed instructions with photos. This is a very helpful guide to building the free little library of your dreams.

I want to thank NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Cool Springs Press for allowing me to read and review this book. Little Free Libraries and Tiny Sheds: 12 Miniature Structures you can Build to Enhance Your Yard or Neighborhood is a fantastic resource for understanding the importance of building a little free library in your front yard and offering a wonderful addition to your neighborhood.

Since our family members are avid readers and my grandchildren cannot pass up a good book, I have been interested in building a little free library. We have a couple of others in our area, and we have enjoyed having them and their contents - free books to share. We enjoy the concept of take a book/share a book.

The detailed instructions in the book are well designed and thorough. The author, Philip Schmidt, provides detailed plans, information, and step-by-step instructions that allow every type of woodworker to build and display a little library in their area. I like his suggestion that these plans are just guides, and that the builder should be as imaginative as possible. Whether it is in your front yard on a on public property (only with the proper permissions), a little free library would be an asset to any community.

I can’t wait to start building one for our family, and see how it helps us meet new friends in our neighborhood.

Reader gets twelve options of little libraries to make - so great for those who like building things. One does get images of other little libraries along with some other information. Good tips and visuals from start (planning) to finish (putting it up). Does note that there are other options one can do with these structures (tool exchange or pet items).

Phillip Schmidt and Todd H. Bol's book Little Free Libraries & Tiny Sheds features 12 examples to build. Everything from standard to artsy to whimsical is shown through both the projects and the multiple photos of finished libraries and sheds. Step by step instructions are given to help beginner builders feel confident. This is a fun and inspiring book!

What a great book for the little libraries! Such great ideas for personalized little libraries and ways to give back to your community! I cannot wait to plan my little library now!

FTC disclosure: I would like to thank Cool Springs Press for providing me with an advance reader copy via access to the galley for free through the NetGalley program.

This is an excellent book, perfect for a beginner or advanced craftsman. I'd recommend it to anyone and it would make a great gift.

I was intrigued by this book after having seen and used a Little Free Library and wondered how to make one. It's an amazing concept. This book contains clear, easy to follow, step-by-step instruction with plenty of detailed photos. There are many designs and creative variations to choose from. Also included is how to build a tiny shed, which I thought was a nice addition to include in this book, both are perfect for storing garden supplies.

I was really hoping to participate in building one this summer so I can try it out first hand and include it in my review of the book, but will not be able to until further into next year, so be on the look out for more to come in an update!

Always wanted to make a tiny library and this book has a lot of great ideas. Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!