Little Free Libraries providing books to communities across the state

Little Free Library is a nonprofit aimed at helping share free books to communities through little library boxes that you may have seen in the front yards of homes. Bookmans Entertainment Exchange has teamed up with Little Free Library to keep those boxes stocked. We learned more from Todd Wethington of Bookmans. 

How did the little free libraries program start?

“The little libraries is a program that was started originally by littlefreelibrary.org that provided access to books to individuals that normally would not have access to. What we did here is in to the end of 2018, we worked in conjunction with the City of Mesa, ASU changemakers, Mindy Jones reality group, and we built 14 Little libraries in front of our store and distributed them throughout the whole east valley,” Wethington said.

So, how does it work?

“It’s like a mailbox for books, you leave books you take books, and you, it’s always a consistent change, change,” Wethington said.

The books, “are funded through our program here, are donated by our customers, and so it allows me to take those books that are donated and redistribute those throughout the community, which has just been a wonderful thing for the last couple of years to do,” Wethington said.

The specific books that are within the little libraries deals a lot with what those in the community want.

“It’s exactly a supply and demand. Kids books are always the thing that I’m asked for first and the most. And I always say it’s a first come first serve basis, we as well in Mesa, we also fill five little libraries in downtown Mesa…it’s been a great wonderful program,” said Wethington