The Little Free Library works off of the "take a book, return a book" philosophy, and it's catching on across the Treasure Valley.

There are more than 50,000 Little Free Libraries across the globe, and they operate totally on the honor system.  You walk right up, grab a book from the shelf, and replace it with another one.  It's a book exchange that keeps gaining momentum around Boise and worldwide.  It might get us reading books we wouldn't normally read since we have to choose from what's available on that day, and it gives us the chance to expose readers to our interests too.  It's interesting and unique.

A quick count on the map shows at least 30 Little Libraries in the Boise area. There are several around Zoo Boise, Ann Morrison Park, and Boise State's campus, but there are lots of others evenly spaced all over the city.

If you want to start your own Little Library, they suggest you take a look over the World Map to see if there is already a Little Library in your neighborhood. You can chat with other library organizers for advice, and send in questions on Little Free Library.org.

There's a one-time $40 fee to register the Little Library, and then you can build the little house the holds the books, paint it any color you want, and feel good knowing that you're doing a good thing for humanity.  You can also buy the little cabinet-like book holder pre-made, and then you just have to install it in the location that you registered.

This is a cool thing!  There are no screens involved and it's based on the honor system, and people love it.  Can we do this with sweaters too?

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