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Recently I returned from a week long trip out of town to find a new library had popped up in my neighborhood.

Now usually the arrival of a library would come with some fanfare, but this one showed up without a word of warning. Take a look:

Located in my friend Rita Dalbec's yard, this 

 is part of a growing movement to encourage reading in your neighborhood.

Dalbec said she heard about the project from a friend, got a hold of 

the suggested plans for building your own

, and handed them over to her dad. He made a few modifications of his own, and voila! Dalbec's boulevard is now home to 

This miniature library project was started by two Wisconsin guys. Todd Bol made the first library in the form of a schoolhouse as a tribute to his mother, a teacher. When he saw how popular the little library was with passersby, he joined forces with his friend Richard Brooks to expand the idea. Now, what is dubbed "little" has become a huge success.

Rita Dalbec says the concept of the little free library is simple; take a book, leave a book.

Enthusiasm for the project appears to be infectious. Recently 

the Walker Art Center along with three local presses got involved

 that over 200 libraries had been installed. Just a few months later that number has exploded, with little free libraries popping up in Haiti, Ghana, and Afghanistan. Now over 1700 libraries are registered around the world. There are dozens in the Twin Cities.

Bol and Brooks say their goal is to see over 2,500 Little Free Libraries constructed around the world. That would exceed the number of libraries built by 

Asked why she got involved in the project, Dalbec's response is short and sweet:

Arts and Culture

State of the Arts Blog

Marianne Combs

Author

Miniature libraries are popping up all over the Twin Cities, and the country, thanks to a couple of book lovers in Wisconsin.

Your (little, free) neighborhood library

Go Deeper.

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