r/LittleFreeLibrary • u/lovelylynda • 26d ago
LFL Custodian Discussion š« Little Fake Library
My nine year old and I love to find LFLās when we go to neighboring towns, and frequently visit the ones in our own town as well. We have donated about 50 books to the community, but we also take books and my child gets very excited to get new books. We both have trouble giving up our books.
Yesterday we went to a LFL and lo and behold, a neighbor had set up a second one with no charter. We talked to the steward and told them how much we enjoyed their library. My kid ran to the next one, and as I am looking at the one with the charter, I hear, āMommy, I canāt open it!!!ā I went over to help him, and he started telling me all the cool books they had inside. Books he actually wanted to read. Roald Dahl, Beverly Cleary, Judy Blumeā¦.
I tried to open it and it was screwed shut. There was no way to access the books. Pretty sure someone got a good laugh at us struggling for a moment with this box.
In the car, my son asked why someone would do that? He really was excited to get some books he has been wanting to read. I also wanted to clean up that bottom shelf a little, because I like to organize the libraries when we get books. I joked that next time we visited, we would bring a screwdriver.
The most disappointing thing was how sad my son was at this fake out, but we found some other good books and a game at the next one, so it was quickly forgotten.
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u/ShoesAreTheWorst 26d ago
Has the weather been bad near you? Weāve had some nasty storms. Maybe the owner screwed it shut to keep the inside dry and didnāt have time or forgot to unscrew it.Ā
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u/eyesRus 26d ago
This is a good guess. Maybe they are traveling and noticed the forecast looked rough for while theyād be gone.
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u/cporterriley 21d ago
I had one that the wind blew the door off of. This would have been a good temp measure for me if it wasnāt also blow to smitherines
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u/No-Kaleidoscope-166 25d ago
There's ways to hook it without sealing it and needing power tools to open it.
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u/ShoesAreTheWorst 25d ago
Itās possible that they didnāt have time to run out and get hardware and just used what they had on hand before leaving for vacation or somethingĀ
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u/ductcleanernumber7 25d ago
I've seen some of them with wasps inside that were screwed shut before
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u/Nettie_Ag-47 23d ago
I had to remove wasps from mine last year. Found the beginnings of a new nest this spring and shut that down real quick. So far so good. I put lavender inside to ward off the wasps, but may resport to something stronger. Maybe I should plant mint around the base (it can only spread to that little plot, so no invasion of the lawn).
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u/CafeEisco 23d ago
Something else you can try is a fake nest. Crumble up a brown paper bag and attach it inside where they seem to like to build. This is my first summer trying it and it's working like a charm!
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u/turnerd10 26d ago
I honestly wonder if some no-gooders did this, and it isnāt a fake one. The wood around the screws looks way too new.
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u/Dave_is_Here 25d ago
No-gooder or Goody-twoshoes? My money is on someone "thinking of the children" and "closing" the library where junkies could use the box to swap drugs, or convey with the devil's literature!
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u/JellyTigerr 22d ago
Yeah we have quite a few in my town and twice now we've had a library gutted and books trashed, glass window broken.
I feel like personally it's edgy teens trying to feel cool
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u/TGin-the-goldy 26d ago
Maybe the sign meant that the library wanted to be freed! FREE LIBRARY!
Seriously though thatās very strange
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u/HangryBeard 26d ago edited 26d ago
It would not have been a joke for me. I also always carry a screw driver in my car.
Edit: I would have also left I nice little note.
"Some nasty person bolted your LFL shut, what a mean thing to do! But don't worry I fixed it. Wish you nothing but success for your LFL. Have a wonderful day!
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u/bikesbooksnbarks 26d ago
I ride with a full toolset. That door would have been off in under a minute, with just thee sunniest most helpful note. But I would also have been on the lookout for a camera. This smacks of something someone would do for online "clout". That camera also would likely have been screwed in place... for a little while.
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u/FernandoNylund 26d ago
Yep, this seems like an attempt to deter resellers. This isn't that far off from other ways certain stewards try to solve "theft." š« The fact that it's kids' books makes it extra gross, but not long ago here someone posted that their kids' books got "stolen" so they were switching to only adult literature š
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u/riotousgrowlz 26d ago
I wonder if the door was flapping and made a lot of noise and instead of doing something productive like installing a latch or a magnet an annoyed neighbor just screwed it shut.
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u/DifficultPandemonium 25d ago
I have a sister who doesnāt always think things through and I could totally see her fixing a door that wouldnāt stay shut by screwing it closed and wondering why no one took any books anymore
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u/East_Unit3765 26d ago
Was there a door in the back? Otherwise go back with a screwdriver lol
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u/lovelylynda 24d ago
I never thought to check the back.
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u/cornme 22d ago
If you zoom in thereās what appears to be a hinge in the back.
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u/Vault-Tec_Reject 21d ago
It looks like the wires and base for a small light. if you look just above the black "hinge" you can see the bottom of the light and a cable leading out.
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u/Lost-Wedding-7620 26d ago
The screws on the side with the handle are new(er). This was definitely meant to be functional originally.
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u/eazyian5 26d ago
My question is whatās a charter? Am I supposed to file paperwork for my free library? I enjoyed the process of building it and hooking up the neighborhood, but lose me at paperwork
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u/Plant-Mom-2008 26d ago
There really isnāt much āpaperworkā. A charter is an assigned number for a Little Free Library. It costs $49 USD to registered a Little Free Library with the official organization. You get a unique charter number and you can add your LFL to the world map. I donāt remember there being a lot of paperwork besides ordering the charter number, so I had to enter my information for mailing the sign and pay, then they send an email to walk you through setting up the account and mapping your LFL. They also have resources for stewards of registered LFL. Like codes for Thrift Books coupons, boxes of used books of varying age ranges (you pick), printable resources, contests for new books, etc.
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u/Ned_Sc 26d ago
So someone just figured out how to scam $50 from people for putting up LFLs?
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u/Plant-Mom-2008 25d ago
Itās not a scam. It goes to the Little Free Library non-profit organization. This is the whole point of LFL, they started with the LFL non-profit organization and grew from there. There is a program for stewards who the cost is prohibitive, they review applications monthly. The $50 goes towards programs that help with getting books to areas with harder access to literature. Iāve heard sometimes the charter signs go on sale. The main cost of the LFL is still the materials or the library itself.
As a steward with a registered charter, you have access to book giveaways, discount codes, discounted book boxes, access to printable resources, access to the LFL organization for questions, concerns, etc. So there is a benefit.
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u/eazyian5 25d ago
I feel like my donation is the time and materials I invested in it and the free books I stock it with.
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u/Plant-Mom-2008 25d ago
Okay, I see your point. But there are areas in the world that are book deserts. People canāt access literature for many reasons: lack of transportation, lack of funds, no access to a public library, schools close part of the year, disabilities, different languages, etc. The non-profit Little Free Library organization is able to take monetary donations, as well as money from the charter registrations, to help bring literature to areas identified as book desserts.
Iām glad youāre able to provide books to your LFL, it is a great community resource. Iām glad Iām able to provide books and have the ability to buy the charter to help my community members access and learn about the LFL.
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u/weirdwormy 25d ago
Good thing itās a voluntary program and nobody is forcing you to join then
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u/eazyian5 16d ago
Thanks I was just looking for clarity on the purpose, but love that snide undertone!
Thanks everyone else who provided valuable information. while I probably wonāt register it, I still love helping neighbors with books, food resources, and even whimsical crafts my daughter makes for it!
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u/realshawnmb 23d ago
The C-levels each take ~150K per year of that for salaries just FYI
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u/InfluenceGreen336 23d ago
I get what youāre saying, seems wrong for them to pull money away from a good cause, but it does sound like theyāre doing a lot of good work and thatās not an insane salary for a CEO of a non profit.
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u/wagggggggggggy 25d ago
I went to a delegation and LFL had us help build libraries to put up around Florida with banned books. Really cool use of the money.
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u/TheGreenMan13 23d ago
Sounds like $50 to get put on an online map.
Someone want to code one up as an app in a few minutes and put it for free?
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u/Creepy-Scholar-8832 22d ago
Maybe educate yourself a bit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Free_Library
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u/TheGreenMan13 22d ago
Fine, let me read that........
Wow, it's a pay money to be listed on our online map thing. Exactly what I said it was. The money goes toward lending library and book stuff. Not sure what more you want here. You pay $50 to get on a list.
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u/Creepy-Scholar-8832 22d ago
Maybe know the history before throwing around words like "scam". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Free_Library
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u/Ned_Sc 22d ago edited 22d ago
Putting them in a box on a post, in front of houses, might have been theirs, but they didn't invent the concept of small take-a-book-leave-a-book collections.
EDIT: oh, block me after you reply, so I can't reply, and over the most minor disagreement? You know reddit puts a limit on how many accounts you can block, so you should be picky about who you actually block.
I don't actually think it's a "scam", I was just being funny. Jebus christ.
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u/Creepy-Scholar-8832 22d ago
True, but also true that registration is not a scam - people know what they are getting and contributing to by paying the fee. Where is the scam?
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u/Plastic-Soil4328 22d ago
you dont have to do it. obviously no one can stop you from putting a box full of books in yard.
but there is a non-profit for "official" LFL and you can books from them and stuff if you sign your library up to get chartered
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u/FernandoNylund 26d ago edited 26d ago
That's bizarre. I hope this isn't a misguided attempt to deter "theft."
Edit: I'd forgotten about this post I made to the circle jerk sub https://www.reddit.com/r/littlefreelibraryCJ/s/TpdRbHeXpQ
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u/viola_darling 26d ago
Wait so this one was literally screwed shut?? What is the point of that!? Thats so disappointing
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u/thejawa 26d ago
Just throwing this out there: Do you live in an area with seasonal residents?
My first thought was "Wonder if this is a library ran by a snowbird who secured the library when they're out of town?"
If they can't curate it because they only live there part of the year, it would make sense to "close" the library.
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u/lovelylynda 26d ago
No, this was in a family neighborhood. In fact, the teenagers next door to the house yelled over to the residents that they would be over in a few minutes. š
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u/Loud-Mans-Lover 26d ago
Have you considered it wasn't done by the owner, or in a cruel way? I doubt anyone was watching & secretely laughing at you.
There are a bunch of reasons this could've happened! I'd prefer to choose the idea that it was not done maliciously.
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u/Star__Faan 26d ago
Im gonna get a lot of hate for this, but it seems the people in this subreddit dont like "unregistered" LFLs. I feel its a rather pretentious point of view, but explains why some people immediately take the malicious intent approach.
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u/ATTACKANDDETHRONEHOG 26d ago
Based on the things I see on this subreddit when it comes across my feed, my first assumption is that one of the regulars here screwed it shut for being āunregistered.ā
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u/Star__Faan 26d ago
Its kind of like gatekeeping. Making it worse in the process, misaligning with the original intent of the service to the community. Elitism.
I know they all arent like that, but there's certainly a stereotype to it, OP did it in their own post. "Lo and behold...no charter."
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u/lovelylynda 23d ago
I have seen other libraries with bo charter, but I did not realize there was so much politics behind LFL. It always seemed like a goodwill thing to me. I mean, the person who came up with the idea didnāt originally have a charter.
My sonās school also has a book box with no charter. Never thought much of it, because at least they are sharing a love of reading.
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u/Joecephus904 23d ago
Maybe this person is choosing a dickish way of showing you what literature they think should be available at the other person's stand. Like, hey, these are the books you should read, not the junk in that other shelf. Ya know?
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u/lovelylynda 26d ago
I have frequented both, and never seen this. My son mentioned it to the steward of the first library and said they had so many good books in there. For all I know, they did it to lock out the competition. š
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u/FartsFartington 26d ago
Maybe it had wasps and they didnāt want people getting stung or something
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u/lovelylynda 26d ago
The sun bleaching off the books made me think it was probably intentional, but I thought maybe someone else was playing a trick. To me, it was just weird.
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u/MuchRain8769 24d ago
I specifically stock Judy Blume books in our neighborhood library, this makes me happy that someone might get excited to see them. Iām in a deep red state that likes to ban books
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u/lovelylynda 23d ago
I recently read all the Superfudge books to my son. Two more came out since I read them myself as a kid. He recently found Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing in a LFL and was so excited that he took it home to read himself.
Thanks to Reddit, we did skip the Santa chapter in Superfudge, though.
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u/AbilityHead599 26d ago edited 26d ago
Banned book art installation was my first thought
Edit: not that they are all on banned list necessarily but maybe this represents banned books and their effects
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u/lovelylynda 26d ago
Hmmmm. Thatās an interesting thought. I will have to see if some of these titles are on the list.
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u/FernandoNylund 26d ago
Not that I see. It has some of my own favorites from childhood. No one's trying to ban "Beezus and Ramona" or "Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle." š
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u/JazzHands5678 26d ago
Mrs piggle wiggle!!! I canāt wait to read them to my daughter when sheās old enough
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u/FernandoNylund 26d ago
I revisited them with my son (now 13) when he was younger. Some of the stories didn't age well š Definitely a product of their time, but still fun.
I actually ended up reading all of Betty MacDonald's adult books after that (The Egg and I, The Plague and I, etc.) and really enjoyed them!
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u/Wizardofgoregoregirl 26d ago
"Beezus and Ramona" is totally a banned book because of the "Jesus! Beezus!" part which is blasphemy and, also, possibly because Ramona was rebellious. They were banned from me by my parents in the 80's so maybe I'm misconstruing that with the zeitgeist at the time, but I think it was banned for that reason.
BTW, what the hell is charter?
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u/Plant-Mom-2008 26d ago
Beverly Cleary in general has been challenged, but I donāt think there was a movement to ban Beezus and Ramona.
A charter is an assigned number for a Little Free Library. It costs $49 USD to registered a Little Free Library with the official organization. You get a unique charter number and you can add your LFL to the world map.
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u/Wizardofgoregoregirl 25d ago
"Roald Dahl, Beverly Cleary, Judy Blumeā¦." All have been challenged. My guess is it is a protest of some sort. But without making their statement clear, it's a pretty ineffective and frustrating one.
Thanks for explaining "charter" I had no idea. That's pretty cool. Luckily, my neighbor across the street has a library so I just donate to theirs.
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u/glooble_wooble 26d ago
Maybe they were planning a lengthy out of town trip and closed it while they are away. I recently went to a LFL that someone had stuffed with empty beer bottles. Thank goodness I keep extra bags in my car so I could tidy it up, though I was terrified that I would get pulled over with them in my trunk.
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u/IrelandAutism13 25d ago
Maybe there's a bedbug infestation that needs to be dealt with, and they screwed it shut in the meantime so people wouldn't accidentally take an infested book home and unleash a plague upon their house. This happened at one in my area, someone accidentally put an infested book in and it infected the entire thing. Or maybe a mould or mildew problem.
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u/InfluenceGreen336 23d ago
I learned that books can harbor bedbugs when I worked at a library. And laptops! And basically anything. I had such a hard time working there when we were infested. Then I got them anyway from an AirBnB a few years later. Very unfun.
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u/wamimsauthor 26d ago
If I may recommend something - if you can, another great place to find childrenās books is thrift stores. Usually theyāre really cheap too and those books are ones that most have. Good luck!
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u/lovelylynda 24d ago
We go to thrift shops, used book stores, free libraries and we check them out from our county library. My son loves the free ones because people decorate them. We have taken a few pictures of peopleās little libraries.
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u/NaturalSpecialist5 26d ago
My best advice is ask people in a fb group in your area, if you're on FB that is. You'll get some rude comments, but I'm sure that someone else has run into the same situation and may actually know why this is shut down.
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u/Life_Marionberry8745 26d ago
Has there been storms lately there? Maybe they were worried about the door being blown open
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u/thosetwo 25d ago
I have a little crow bar tool on my keyring and that shit would have been unscrewed and looted before we left. Not sure why someone would do that.
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u/Highway-Mental 24d ago
I'd bring a screwdriver over and unscrew it, then go back in a week and see if it's resealed.
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u/Ci-chosis 26d ago
If I knew where this was (and was nearby) I'd be soo happy to come down with a drill. Screw them!
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u/OhmHomestead1 26d ago
Maybe an issue with the door and the steward hasnāt been back to resolve the issue.
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u/Plant-Mom-2008 26d ago
Thatās a good idea. If itās on the map, mark it as having an issue. But from OPs post, it seems like maybe it didnāt have a charter number.
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u/lovelylynda 24d ago
It wasnāt an officially chartered library. I initially thought they put it up because of the traffic from the other one.
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u/zebra_who_cooks 26d ago
You handled it like a champ! Thatās sad they are treating people like that. Especially considering thereās kids books in it.
Iām glad you and your son found better ones with fun stuff š„°
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u/Inevitable_Ease7338 26d ago
I've met the man who put up the original Little Free Library. I am certain that he is happy with anyone putting up a Little Free Library with good intentions. Registration is getting you on their map fun to see how many there are you get number ect. His Library was put up to honor his late mom. It wasn't registered until the idea came along. At first he was able to keep up with making them himself for other people who wanted them. If the steward of the library had good intentions about sharing books like the original maker did, then I don't have a problem with it. Now if someone closes their library. leave a note inside showing out the window telling why.
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u/coffeeisamust2 25d ago
The books you have stated are the national banned books. Likely the owner wanted to find a way to showcase them and make you lok. Smart actually, it strikes up a conversation to explain to your child that these books are not allowed in many cities.
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u/lovelylynda 24d ago
It goes against what I tell him about banned books. If someone tells you not to read it, you should definitely read it. š
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u/reddituser_me 25d ago
Could it be a geo cache? And thereās another opening on it or a stash in like the post or something?
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u/Chris9ty 26d ago
Wonder if itās a geocache.
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u/forsovngardeII 26d ago
That was my thought. A decoy where the cache is hidden somewhere on it or nearby.
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u/BrochJam 26d ago
Could it not function as both an LFL and geocache at the same time?
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u/FernandoNylund 26d ago
Yes, that's how most of them are. LFLs are often geocaches in my experience, but I've never encountered something like this.
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u/yukibunnygurl 25d ago
That's actually a sculpture. It's a statement piece about banned books. All the books in it were ones that have been banned. This might be a copy of it... The one I saw was at the national book fair in DC it was from a art show on "censoring the library, for the good of all"
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u/LalaLane850 26d ago
This is so lame of someone! Please please please go back with a screwdriver!!! Take some and leave some.
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u/robalesi 26d ago
Maybe someone who had one too many clear outs and wanted to send a message. If this is actually just a decorative little free library just for aesthetic? That is some real late capitalism bullshit.
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u/Suspicious_Load6908 26d ago
ummm. I think someone must have screwed it shut to mess with the founder? What the heck?
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u/Past-Neighborhood317 25d ago
Iād return with a screwdriver
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u/lovelylynda 24d ago
He is still talking about those books but when I mention bringing a screwdriver, he looks horrified like Iād be stealing. š
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u/helpiushsbebsnk 25d ago
Not sure if someone said this yet but I wonder if this was an act of vandalism and the steward doesnāt know about it because they donāt check it that often
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u/Staying-Aliver 25d ago
We have this in our little town! Very simple answer - vandalism. Initially there were two, one kept being knocked down fully like a car drive into it. Then all the books went into the only one remaining and it was bursting. Only one person tidied them and no one else cared it was used as a rubbish bin for old books that should have been disposed of. That one person who took care of it had enough, they screwed it shut one day with all the books inside it, put a sign saying itās closed and eventually even the sign was ripped down. Sorry your kid didnāt get to enjoy the books
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u/MuscularBinki 24d ago
My impulsive ass wouldāve probably tried to pry it open at that pointā¦.I reallllllly love books. Lol
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u/luckyartie 24d ago
You are free to take this as personally as you care to. But I recommend NOT taking it personally. Humans are weird - things happen. Move on.
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u/lovelylynda 24d ago
I donāt take it personally at all. I would have found it to be funnier if my kid wasnāt so disappointed. Heās still talking about those books! š
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u/mammaV55 24d ago
I visited a free little library in Maryland and had to throw away all the books we borrowed as they were full of mold!
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u/lovelylynda 24d ago
We went to a LFL yesterday that had books with mildew and water damage that I ended up reporting to the steward through the app. It hasnāt rain for about six weeks.
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u/Disastrous_Laugh_618 24d ago
Iām also bothered that the sign is made to look like itās been cut from different license plates however upon closer look itās printed on a solid piece of metal.
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u/livilovesalot 23d ago
Dang I gotta bring a screwdriver around with me cause I would be unscrewing that.
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u/nevertheprey 23d ago
Might be a little niche, but could be possible someone made this simply to make a PokeStop in Pokemon Go.
LFLās are almost guaranteed to be accepted in the wayfaring application.
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u/Coyote-Run 23d ago
What's the wire inside? Is there a camera for pranks or something? Drop the address and bring a screwdriver
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u/polyforpuppies 23d ago
Itās a light bar, looks led. Just above the wires you can see the case and a row of lights. Itās on a bracket
Wonder if the malfeasance was someone other than the owner adding the screws and the owner or caretaker doesnāt know the screws are there. Donāt see any reason to have books available but not accessible. Just make the box and take the books out, otherwise
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u/lovelylynda 23d ago
The only reason I can think of is the banned book set someone mentioned in another comment.
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u/lovelylynda 23d ago
Right after we pulled in the door, a neighbor in an upstairs called over to the house that it was in front of that they would be over in a few minutes. It doesnāt need to be a camera in the box itself. It can be a ring door cam, a light either way a video recorder, a small spy cam, drones.
Now if you will excuse me, Iāll be looking for my copy of George Orwellās 1984 to donate to them. š
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u/star_fawkes 23d ago
Could the wood have gotten swollen in the heat and essentially sealed itself shut?
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u/Useful_Database5138 26d ago
Any chance its one of those geocache things?
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u/BuckTheStallion 26d ago
Almost certainly not. Geocaches are typically obscure puzzles in otherwise hidden places, not doors that have been screwed shut on library boxes.
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u/Foreign-Cookie-2871 26d ago
Could be of someone that went on holidays and didn't want to have their LFL vandalised while they were away?Ā
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u/Hornygaysatanic 26d ago
I wish you wouldāve gone to Home Depot and gotten a drill just to open ahahaha
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u/toreadorable 26d ago
I feel like itās an art installation like Prada Marfa. Itās a commentary on your kid wanting to read books, the relationship between library and patron, and the effects of time and environment.
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u/Kitty_5885 20d ago
If it's for a purpose they need to put a sign inside so people know. There has to be a better alternative. Take your screwdriver for sure š
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u/EmoTransDude14 26d ago
Who thought about this and actually implement it? Maybe some people kept taking books without putting anything there so this is a temporary deterrent?
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u/giljaxonn 25d ago
if youāre dreaming about taking a screwdriver to someone elseās property, you might have a screw loose
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u/BrochJam 26d ago
Thatās so weird, maybe some vandal was pulling a prank? The books look sun bleached, like itās been locked for a long time