A residents' association have been using Shooglebox to gather design ideas to build a Little Library for the community
Little Free Libraries have been popping up all over the UK - you may have one in a community near you – and there are now more than 150,000 worldwide. It's a brilliantly simple idea: a mini library where people can swap books for free.
The concept started in the US which is why many Little Free Libraries are shaped like US mailboxes, although they come in all shapes and sizes. Some libraries are housed in old phone boxes or even fridges. Many are colourfully painted and decorated. The main priority is it needed to be weatherproof and accessible with plenty of good reads inside.
One local residents' group in Yorkshire has been using Shooglebox to gather inspiration to design and build their own Little Free Library. They've enlisted the help of Men's Shed to construct the library and have designed it themselves, using instructions found online and design ideas that people have shared on social media. Their plan is to create two libraries: one for adults and a children's library at a lower height that little readers can browse.
Their Shooglebox contains photos and social media posts of other Little Free Libraries, design requirements, building tips and common pitfalls, as well as quotes and measurements for materials.
It didn't take long to pull together in Shooglebox and it means everything is handy in one place when it comes to discussing the project with the Men's Shed and the wider group - far easier than scrolling back through Facebook and Whatsapp conversations and emails!
You can find more information at LittleFreeLibrary.org if you're interested in building one yourself, or see the Little Free Library Shooglebox in our Examples section.
Are you using Shooglebox for an interesting project of any kind? Let us know, we'd love to hear from you!
