Letter to the Editor: Little Free Library Comes to Del Ray

They are all over the world: Africa, Asia, Europe, Central America, though not yet in South America, nor Iceland, Greenland or Antarctica. And none in Northern Virginia—until now! Del Ray has just become home to a Little Free Library!

What, you may ask, is a Little Free Library? Tod Boll of Wisconsin started these small community lending libraries in 2009 when he put a box holding books in his front yard with a sign “Take a book, leave a book” in honor of his deceased mother.

His library was such a hit that he was soon helping others make weatherproof, miniature houses of books to share the love of reading and build community.

The organization’s website, www.littlefreelibrary.org, keeps track of registered libraries, provides information and inspiration, and photos of all manner of libraries popping up across the world, brightly painted and au naturale.

Our Little Free Library (LFL) in Del Ray is constructed of old wood from Amish barns, and it resides on the corner of East Windsor and DeWitt Avenues, the same 200 block of Windsor where the old historic Town Hall of Potomac, now the firehouse, is located.

It’s right around the corner from the Poetry Fence where Renée serves up poems daily (except during inclement weather) on both a Children’s Poetry bulletin board and an Adult Poetry board.

Our LFL has been a joint effort by this letter's authors (Renée, Elli) and by Ricko and Kim-Anh Aslanian. Elli and Renée are the stewards, Renée bought the library box, Elli created its Facebook page, Ricko installed it, and Kim-Anh designed the children’s advertising leaflets and distributed them. All together, they gave the first books to the LFL. Now it belongs to all of us!

Take a stroll down that way, and get edified. In the summer, you can pick some cherry tomatoes (Fast Food/Help yourself to tomatoes/no pesticides used) just a few feet away from the library and munch as you ruminate about which book to borrow or what you could contribute.

Do follow us on Facebook for updates, photos, events and community building a little farther afield.

The library is open to everyone, and the collection will include picture books, nonfiction, novels and books of local interest. If you have a favorite book you think others would love also, leave it in the library for someone to borrow. Take a book, return a book!

Renée Adams and Elli Ludwigson