How To Increase Visitors In A Library

If you're lucky, lots of people volition use your Little Free Library right from the first. Sometimes, though, it takes weeks or months for people to discover a new Little Library. This is especially true for Libraries in secluded locations or those tucked abroad on neighborhood cul-de-sacs.

If y'all're in the latter situation, then you may need to do some creative outreach to get people to visit your Library! Read on to acquire how three stewards found clever ways to engage with their communities and go more Library visitors.

The "What Book Do you Beloved?" Sidewalk Project

Rebecca Elder, steward of Little Free Library charter #73021, decided to put a bin of sidewalk chalk in her Library one afternoon … and the response she got was quite unexpected. Her idea was uncomplicated. She wrote on the sidewalk next to her Library: "What book do you love?" Her neighbors (especially the neighborhood kids) proceeded to fill seven blocks of sidewalk with answers ranging fromTo Kill a MockingbirdtoPete the True cat.

what-book-do-you-love-image

"My Lilliputian Costless Library is pretty newand this felt like a sign that my neighborhood loves and values the Library (and reading) as much as I do," Rebecca said. "I think I'll probably effort to do this every couple of months, then that it stays special and doesn't become expected. I think the next question might be 'What's your favorite word?' because that always gets very interesting answers." Not only was this a clever style to encourage people to stop by her Library, but she likewise learned the exact books that her neighbors would honey to detect in her Trivial Library! Now that'due south a win-win.

The Summertime Pop-up Library Programme

Staff at James A. Foote Uncomplicated School in Lincoln Park, Michigan, were looking for a manner to keep kids reading over the summertime pause. The schoolhouse's literacy autobus mentioned that she'd read an article about Little Free Libraries and she was hoping to start one at the school. The group decided that they would install 3 Footling Free Libraries that would be central to their popular-up library plan. (You tin can see one of their Petty Libraries on our map, charter #71155 in Lincoln Park, MI!)

Steve Massengill was part of the group that created the programme, and he shared, "The idea was that at the end of the school year, our students would be sent home with at least 2 make-new books for them to read. Inside the books would be a bookmark with the dates of our pop-upwardly library program. At least four times throughout the summer, the students would be invited back to the school to exchange their books for new titles."

James A Foote Elementary Little Free Libraries

Students pose next to one of the iii Little Complimentary Libraries at James A. Foote Uncomplicated in Lincoln Park, Michigan!

The school used Title I funds to buy books and other necessary supplies. Staff volunteered to supervise the students on the chosen dates when the kids would come dorsum to school, get new books and a sno-cone, and sit and read on the school backyard. "We are hoping the students volition not only come on the popular-up dates, but also visit the Little Free Libraries on a regular basis," Steve said. "Nosotros've reached out to the community to assist u.s.a. continually supply the Piffling Libraries with loftier-interest books for our students and neighbors. So far we have collected over 500 titles with more to come. Our hope is that this is a project the community will value and support. We too hope our young friends will see the value of reading and care for the Little Libraries with u.s.a.."

Blind Date with a Book

The Joliet Public Library in Joliet, Montana, maintains five Footling Free Libraries in the area. Around the holidays, they decided to practise a picayune something special. "We wrapped new books and put a gift tag on each ane that said the genre or age ceremoniousness of the book. Then we put a few gift-wrapped books in each of our Little Gratuitous Libraries," said Alyson Green, a staff fellow member at Joliet Public Library. "This was our mode of sharing the Christmas and holiday joy with our patrons."

Joliet Public Library

Books wrapped upward like gifts wait the next lucky company to this Little Gratuitous Library maintained by the Joliet Public Library!

This idea is similar to the popular Blind Date with a Book setup, frequently used by public libraries, bookstores, and Lilliputian Free Library stewards, peculiarly effectually Valentine'due south Twenty-four hours! Wrapping up a volume and writing some hints almost its plot on the embrace is a great way to encourage people to open your Library. After all, who tin can resist a proficient mystery?

If you lot want more people to visit your Little Library, we promise you'll give ane of these activities a try! Nosotros have many more than craft and activity ideas in our blog, including how to run a Little Gratuitous Library bicycle bout and how to create your ain Little Free Library sandwich sign. If you don't take a Library nonetheless, learn how to start one hither.