In the 2013 Ted-X talk above, Todd Bol, founder of the Little Free Library movement, expressed the desire that one day, he might be able to boast that his labor of love had surpassed McDonalds with regard to the number of customers’ served.
It’s closing in…
Bol, who passed away earlier this month, was inspired by Andrew Carnegie’s mission of repaying his own good fortune by establishing 2,509 free public libraries.
The Little Free Libraries are vastly more numerous if less imposing than Carnegie’s stately edifices.
Some, like the prototype Bol crafted with lumber salvaged from a garage door in his late mother’s honor, resemble doll houses.
One in Detroit is a dead ringer for Doctor Who’s TARDIS.
There’s a bright yellow one emblazoned with characters from The Simpsons, autographed by series creator Matt Groening.
Others are housed in repurposed suitcases, storage cabinets, or newspaper honor boxes.
While the non-profit Little Free Library store sells several sturdy, weatherproof models and its website hosts a healthy collection of blueprints and tips for DIYers, Bol was never doctrinaire about the aesthetics, preferring to leave that up to each volunteer steward.
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