Those cute little free libraries just scored some love from a women’s book group
The Women’s National Book Association is showing its love for free book exchanges by awarding the Little Free Library group with a prestigious prize—further cementing the bond between ladies and literature.
When you think of a book club, the stereotypical image that comes to mind is usually a group of women. And there is likely something to that. Studies have repeatedly suggested that women tend to read more books than men, especially fiction (even though men tend to write vastly more book reviews). So it makes sense that when the Women’s National Book Association chose the recipient of their Second Century Prize last week, it was a group that also is made up of predominantly women. The Little Free Library, the non-profit behind all those little birdhouse-sized bookcases you may have spotted staked into lawns and public spaces across the country, won this year’s award.
The prize is meant to recognize an organization that “supports the power of reading, past, present, and into the future.” The Little Free Library does just that by providing an adorable platform for bookworms to embrace their love of reading, even if there’s not an official library nearby. Each little library is stocked with a collection of books, and passersby are encouraged to “give one, take one.”
“This means so much,” Little Free Library’s creator and executive director Todd Bol said in a statement. “Little Free Library is about 90 percent women, so it really is a women’s movement, supporting friends and family and community.”
Bol founded Little Free Library in Hudson, Wisconsin to honor his school teacher mother (we assume another book-loving lady). Now that the concept has spread, readers of all ages and backgrounds have access to the mini libraries’ quirky appeal. Since the group was formed eight years ago, it’s established more than 50,000 libraries in more than 70 countries and fueled the exchange of millions of books a year—numbers that prove the WNBA (the book association, not the basketball one) made a smart choice in celebrating.
Aside from the $5,000 grant Little Library won with the prize, this decision is a great way to draw more attention to a grassroots group doing good for women (like us) who love to read, and communities around the world.
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If you haven’t seen any little libraries near you, check the group’s extensive map here. Or just start your own.