I have a love affair with Little Free Libraries. To the point that my children now try to distract me whenever we walk near one (“Look Mom! Over there!”). Despite my offsprings’ best efforts, I have located three more nearby LFLs since I last wrote about them (see below).
Apparently I am not alone in my book lust, as Little Free Libraries are riding a wave of popularity that has crossed the globe. And now, the local architect/ humanitarians at Architects Without Borders bring us Libraries on the Loose, an LFL design contest with the ultimate goal of making LFLs even more accessible to homeowners, community groups and businesses through good, affordable and replicable LFL design. The contest has the added benefit of raising funds for some inspirational architecture projects such as the building of schools in developing nations.
New projects and existing LFLs are eligible for the contest, which will consider such components as affordability, replicability, adaptability and creativity. The LFLs will actually be installed as part of the contest. Interested parties need to register their intent to participate by August 1st, and submit by August 27th. Entries will be part of the Seattle Design Festival on September 6-7 and 13-14th.
You can get inspired by visiting your local LFL today! The fun but difficult to search LFL official map has thousands of LFLs listed, but as I have found from walking the neighborhood, most of our local LFLs aren’t on it. The following list of Wallingford’s Little Free Libraries was generated by reader contributions. If you know of an LFL that should be on this list, please let us know!
- 3634 Woodlawn Ave N
- Southwest corner of 39th and Burke
- Bagley Ave. N between 36th and 37th
- N 38th between Bagley and Corliss
- Bagley just north of 41st
- 4111 Midvale
- 1200 N 44th Street
- N 43rd, a few houses east of Corliss
- Densmore N. at the top of the 4300 block
- 4550 Thackeray
- 1815 N 47th St
- 5420 Kirkwood
- 53rd and Wallingford
- Northwest corner of Latona and 51st
- 5738 Ashworth N
- 1831 North 57th St.
- 6110 Latona
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The little free libraries have been a charming way, especially for children, to highlight literacy, community, ingenuity and cooperative sharing in various neighborhoods. Now these grassroots little libraries are going to be the subject of a competitive contest with standards to meet? I don’t know, somehow, to me, this takes away some of the fun and spontaneity. Sometimes I think it is better to let things (alone) (grow on their own) (be).
I like the idea of a design contest being used to help create LFL templates that could be easily and affordably replicated by the masses. If it can help bring LFLs to more places, or allow people like me (who have few construction skills) to build an LFL more easily, let’s see what those creative design students and DIY folks can come up with!
There’s a nice one in front of 5104 Keystone Pl. N.
There’s a new one at 3833 Burke Ave. N, on the corner of 39th & Burke. I, too, would love to see this contest spark some more affordable LFLs, that can be built by those of us without construction skills.
Spotted one on NE corner of Densmore and 38th