The new and wondrous experiment has begun, our Little Free Library is up and running. Our friend Jay Bridge came over today and spent several hard hours digging, sawing, trimming and bracing the beautiful library which he built and we painted. Maria and I both rushed to load up the library with books we have read and enjoyed and happily share with others.

The Little Free Library program is a movement, one of those wonderful ideas that the Internet makes possible from time to time. There are more than 40,000 Little Free Libraries all over the country. LFL people consider themselves a community and talk to one another, even sometimes visit one another.

The idea is not to toss old books out or send old books out, but to share books we love and get a book in return. “Take A Book, Return A Book” is the simple motto of this grass-roots community sharing program. Thanks for your generosity, but please do not send us books, we have plenty of them. If you love the idea, and have lots of read books, start your own LFL.

Maria and I love to share books and we love to promote community. We were practically dancing, we were so happy to see this months long project finally go up in front of our farmhouse. What a great symbol for a writer and an artist.

“Why are we so happy?,” we asked one another. Because, I said, “this is the spirit of the place.” And it is.

We were especially lucky to have asked our friend Jay Bridge, an engineer, carpenter and sheep farmer to build it. It took him weeks – “I got a little carried away,” he said. I expected this to cost a lot of money – he did a beautiful job and it was worth a lot of money. But the bill was only $200. He worked long and hard for the idea of it.

I protested a bit. “Was he sure about the low price?

Yes, he said, he didn’t want more, it was aa good thing for the community. Jay is a class act, on many different levels. I am very proud to call him a friend.

Thanks Jay, for making this happen in a more beautiful and meaningful way than we ever imagined.

There is only one other Little Free Library around here, it is on the other side of my little town. I think it will take some time for people to get used to the idea. People here are not used to free things. It is wonderful to think of these books setting out like little angels, and having more lives than a cat. Books do not deserve to die on shelves, they should go out and give rebirth to themselves, again and again.

This is a timely, grass roots community building idea, it is the right time to do it. We are just proud and delighted to see it.

We placed it right in front of the house, people can pull over, look at the books, take one they want, and then, hopefully and when they get the chance, return one. I can’t wait to see what happens. Maria put a couple of my books in there, and we both hope young people will discover it and get the chance to read some good books for free, and with no danger of penalties and fines.

We are eager to see what goes out, and what comes back. I love the way it looks, it is a beautiful thing in its own right, inside and out. It is the spirit of the place.