Check it out – Little Free Libraries arrive in B.R.

Zoe and Leo Clark, ages 7 and 3, are buckled into their minivan seats, prepared for adventure. With books in hand and snacks safe with Mom, they’re ready to make the trek across town to visit the “other” Little Free Library.

“I’ve been there twice already,” explains Mark Clark, the children’s driver—and dad. “I hope they’re home.”

Clark heard a story about Little Free Libraries on NPR and was inspired to build one of his own. The first, built in 2009, is in Massachusetts. Creator Todd Bol sparked a grassroots movement with his schoolhouse-themed memorial to his mother.

The idea is simple. Promote literacy and build community by sharing books. Anyone can take a book. Anyone can contribute a book. Official Little Free Libraries are registered on a website and marked by a charter number. Lafayette and New Orleans both boast several Little Free Libraries.

Now, Baton Rouge has two.

Mark’s goal is one to which many bibliophiles may relate: to cull his family’s collection. He and his wife, Barbara, have long-standing reading habits, and once two story-loving kids were added to the mix, their house was brimming with books. Since his library’s opening, people are always telling Mark that they have the same predicament. “And really,” he asks, “what do you do with a book when you’re finished with it?”

At first, people seemed to stop more often to take pictures of their library rather than to use it. But after a couple of weeks, books started circulating quickly, and after a month, none of the original titles remained, with the exception of a 1972 calculus textbook.

Mark threw that one away.

Most of their users are women with children. One neighbor down the street brings his grandchildren regularly.

John Grisham and cookbooks go fast. “My books don’t do very well, though,” laments Mark. Alongside the books in the Clarks’ library is a tiny notebook for comments. Neighbors thank them, but they also make suggestions.

The drive from Magnolia Woods to Broadmoor goes quickly, and as soon as the Little Free Library is within spying distance, the children wiggle in their seats. Mark spots a car in the driveway.

As soon as the van comes to a stop, Zoe and Leo race into this stranger’s yard, open the glass door of its lofted, wooden box, and press their fingers into the spines of the books within.

Mark carefully surveys the box’s construction. His own Little Free Library officially opened in March, after much consideration of design. He’d looked at several plans online, but he was concerned about the mold that may accompany humid weather. He devised a double-walled box that allowed for ventilation but still keeps the books dry. Mosquito netting keeps wasps from nesting inside.

Mark is quick to point out that he didn’t make Baton Rouge’s first. As promised by the car in the driveway, he is finally going to meet the folks who did.

Angi Cinquemino and her 6-year-old son Tavio are co-stewards of Baton Rouge’s first Little Free Library. Angi’s approach, more methodical than that of the Clarks, speaks to her profession. “It’s every librarian’s dream to own her own library,” she says.

Angi’s Little Free Library was a gift from her boyfriend, Christopher Garrett. For six months, she collected books for her library, scouring thrift shops for the best titles and organizing them by genre. She and Tavio launched their library on Jan. 1 with a grand unveiling. Their Little Free Library has its own Facebook page and is on Google Maps.

Their books turn over quickly, and they dedicate part of each Sunday to restocking the shelves, sometimes organizing volumes by theme. February featured romance and love-themed poetry.

Their patrons come from all over town. Tavio monitors the library’s use daily, checking on circulation as soon as he gets home from school. “It’s the best part of the day,” Angi explains.

Zoe and Leo, who’ve been quietly reading during their parents’ conversation with Angi, need a snack on the drive back home. They thumb through their new books. They’re returning home with more than they brought.

Baton Rouge’s Little Free Libraries are located at 646 Magnolia Woods Ave. (Map it!) and 9644 Mollylea Dr. (Map it!)