Artist Transforms 110-Year-Old Tree Into The Most Enchanting Free Library

Oct 18, 2022 by apost team

Book lovers everywhere, rejoice! The most magical little library in Idaho is open to the public. Made out of a hollowed-out tree, the library, a “branch” of the non-profit organization Free Little Library, is a library like no other. With rows of shelves and charming lights, it is stocked with books that can be seen from outside its glass window, inviting readers to take a gander at its wares.

In 2018, artist and resident of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Sharalee Armitage Howard realized that a more than 110-year-old cottonwood tree planted just outside her family home had begun to rot. The tree’s falling branches made it a danger, so the Howard family had no choice but to cut most of it down. They left a stump, however, that is at least twice as tall as a human. After hollowing it out, they installed shelves and working lights. They added a roof and a door, both of which were painted green. Sharalee then decorated the top of the door with miniature wooden books boasting such titles as “The Hobbit” and “Call of the Wild.” Stone steps also run up from the pavement to the tree door for easy access.

Sharalee decided to collaborate with Free Little Library, a non-profit organization based in Hudson, Wisconsin, devoted to establishing neighborhood book exchanges. It describes itself as the largest book-sharing organization in the world and began in 2009. There are now over 75,000 Free Little Libraries in 88 countries. Most of these “libraries” are usually much smaller than Sharalee’s tree library, and look more like opulent bird houses filled with books.

Participants can either build their own libraries or order a prefab kit from Free Little Library to get started. They can then register their library with Free Little Library and get a sign with a unique number proclaiming them to be an official Library Steward. Stewards who buy kits are automatically registered.

Sharalee’s tree library has been a hit with the public, who marveled at its delightfully appealing and rustic look. “These carved wooded books make my heart skip a beat. Sometimes the smallest details make the biggest impact,” one fan commented on photographs Sharalee had shared on her Facebook page in December 2018.

“I love it! It is so beautiful and useful. We have little free libraries in our neighborhood that you can borrow or donate books. They are not nearly as ornate as yours, but the people in the neighborhood are loving them,” another admirer wrote.

Sharalee isn’t the only one with a novel Free Little Library. Book lovers across America and even the United Kingdom have built Free Little Libraries patterned on the Tardis time machine from the “Doctor Who” science-fiction series. Many of them attracted attention from the local press, just as Sharalee’s Free Little Library did. Other interesting library designs include British phone booths, Lego houses and nooks with a “Harry Potter” theme.

Visitors to the library can take a book and/or leave a book. The library operates on an honor system; people don’t have to return books they borrow by any given day. In order to ensure the library has a decent selection of books, frequent visitors are encouraged to contribute books to the library.

apost.com

Are there any Free Little Libraries in your neighborhood? What do you think about the idea of sharing books for free? Let us know and be sure to pass this on to all the book lovers you know!