So there you are, flâneusing about town, not a care in the world. 

Maybe you’re carrying a couple of books you just finished reading – a hot new author’s bestseller debut, The Casual Vacancy, perhaps. And, for some reason not even you understand, a dog-eared copy of Wordperfect for Dummies, circa 1996. 

You’re content, but a little tired. You need to put those books down. 

You amble into a gentrified neighbourhood and, behold: a tiny house perches at the foot of a driveway in front of a much larger house. The little structure sends out welcoming vibes. It’s on private property and yet it beckons you.

What could it be? 

Since it’s 2012, you’re forgiven for not knowing that you’re staring at the new home for your eccentric book choices. 

Except it’s not 2012. It’s the other side of 2022.

It’s 2022 and book exchanges just might be more loved than Wordperfect and Robert Galbraith combined. Why is that? 

Perhaps, like me, you thought book exchanges – also known as little free libraries –  were just a fad.

Perhaps, like me, you’re astonished they’re still perching, these little birdhouses for books, at the end of so many driveways, in so many communities across this great planet. 

Usually the book selection is meh. Actual libraries are far superior. So, why are these things still trending?  

Show Notes

• Jane Schmidt and Jordan Hale’s open-access article can be found on the Journal of Radical Librarianship website.
• Little Free Library founder Tod Bol on Schmidt and Hale’s paper. 
• A link to Dan and Trina’s book bombing Facebook Group
• The West Howe Sound Story, by Francis J. Van Den Wyngaert.