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Zoning regulations
Little Free Libraries are typically welcomed by communities; if zoning problems arise, however, local governments often work with residents to find solutions. In late 2012, the village of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
Whitefish Bay is a village in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 14,954 at the 2020 census.
History
In the early 19th century when the first white settlers arrived, the Whitefish Bay area was controlled by Native A ...
, denied permission to potential Little Free Library projects and required that an existing Little Free Library be removed because of a village ordinance that prohibited structures in front yards. Village trustees also worried about inappropriate material being placed in the boxes. However, in August 2013, the village approved a new ordinance that specifically allowed Little Free Library boxes to be put up on private property.
On June 17, 2015 Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...
Mayor Charlie Hales
Charles Andrew Hales (born January 22, 1956) is a former American politician who served as the 52nd mayor of Portland, Oregon, from 2013 to 2017. He previously served on the Portland City Council from 1993 to 2002.
Early life and education
Charl ...
declared it "Little Community Kiosk day" in response to community confusion over right-of-way
Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another.
A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...
rules. On that day, he and the Portland City Council amended city code to allow for community kiosks such as Little Free Libraries in neighborhoods.
In June 2014, city officials in Leawood, Kansas
Leawood is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States, and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 33,902.
History
19th century
After the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, the area ...
shut down a Little Free Library under a city ordinance prohibiting detached structures. The family of Spencer Collins, the nine-year-old boy who built the structure, created a Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...
page to support the amendment of Leawood's city code. Another resident of the city who erected a Little Free Library was threatened with a $25 fine. In July, the city council unanimously approved a temporary moratorium to permit Little Free Libraries on private property.
On January 29, 2015, the Metropolitan Planning Commission in Shreveport, Louisiana shut down a Little Free Library. Zoning administrator Alan Clarke said that city ordinances permitted libraries only in commercial zones and that the one that was shut down had “bothered someone.” The following month, the city council temporarily legalized book exchange boxes until the zoning ordinances could be amended to permanently allow them.
In North America, Little Free Libraries, and, implicitly, other public bookcases, have been criticized for being placed mostly in neighborhoods of wealthier, well-educated people, where there are already high-quality traditional public libraries nearby. The commentator encourages groups to assist neighborhoods where such facilities are lacking.
In the August/September 2022 issue of ''Reason
Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, ...
'' magazine, reporter Christian Britschgi wrote on how Little Free Library is leading the pushback against cumbersome and overreaching zoning
Zoning is a method of urban planning in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into areas called zones, each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for a si ...
regulations in the United States:
Little Free Pantries and Blessing Boxes
As of June 2019, the United States had more than 600 Little Free Pantries, and more can be found in Canada, The Netherlands and Australia. The Little Pantries function similarly to the libraries, as places where anyone can bring food and anyone can take food. Personal hygiene items such as soap and toothbrushes are also distributed. The first Little Free Pantry opened May 12, 2016 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Another 100 were installed within months, including pantries in New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. Items not allowed, according to informal rules, include razors, alcohol, and breakable glass containers.
Blessing Boxes, which are similar to the Little Free Pantries, are often sponsored by churches. They provide a place for sharing food and other useful goods, such as clothing. People are encouraged to "pay it forward" and donate whatever they can, such as a can of beans. "The idea is that anyone walking by who may be struggling can use the goods to make ends meet and get through the day."
See also
* Community fridge
* Free Blockbuster
Free Blockbuster is a nonprofit organization that promotes neighborhood movie exchanges. There are over 160 Free Blockbuster Boxes across the United States. Typically, Free Blockbuster Boxes are made by upcycling abandoned newspaper distribution ...
* Public bookcase – for history and generic aspects of the practice
References
External links
Official website
* Sampling o
creative LFL ideas shared on Pinterest
including repurposed pay phone, newspaper boxes, file cabinets
{{Authority control
2009 establishments in Wisconsin
Book swapping
Charity
Food banks
Non-profit organizations based in Wisconsin
Organizations established in 2009
Private aid programs
Sharing economy