I’ve talked before in this column — and I have a feeling it’ll become a recurring theme — about how, when traveling, it’s often the little things that end up sticking with me and having an impact. On a recent trip to Fort Collins, Colorado, the little thing that had a big impact was a library. A really little library. I didn’t measure it, but I’d say it was maybe a couple of feet tall, a foot deep and a foot-and-a-half wide; it was made of wood, with a plexiglass front, and it stood on a post that put it at a comfortable height for browsing through the books when I undid the latch and opened the front door. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen such a contraption — there’s one that’s very similar just a few blocks from where I live — but it was the unexpectedness of running into this one that made it so special.
Let me just back up and say: Little Free Libraries have been around for over a decade. There are thousands of them across the U.S. and in many other countries. They’re also known as “Little Libraries” or “Little Lending Libraries,” but the concept’s always the same: It’s a small enclosure of some sort (usually a wooden box, but not always) and it’s stocked with a variety of donated books. Anyone is free to take a book or two at any time, but folks are also asked to leave books so that the library is always stocked.
So, a couple of months ago, Steve and I were in Fort Collins, and while he was wrapping up work, I had about 45 minutes to kill before I had to start packing for the trip home. It was a gorgeous spring day so I decided to spend my time going for a walk. The hotel where we were staying was in an upscale business area, but after walking for just a few minutes, I left the businesses behind and found myself in a nice neighborhood, where the houses were neatly kept and the lawns beautifully manicured. In many of the yards, I noticed basketball goals and/or hammocks, a sign that these folks valued both exercise and relaxation; I had good feeling about this place.
But the icing on the cake came when I rounded a corner and found myself face to plexiglass face with a Little Library.
I love books. I always have. Growing up, Nancy Drew and I were thick as thieves. Later, from junior high through high school, if Agatha Christie wrote it, I read it. I’ve spent my adult life getting lost in fiction and broadening my horizons with nonfiction. I can spend hours in bookstores or libraries (the regular-sized ones!), aimlessly browsing.
Of course, in a bookstore or regular library, no matter how many hours you spend, you’re just not gonna see every book title. But in a Little Library, you can see each and every book that’s available within just a couple of minutes. And part of the fun is that there’s such a mishmash of titles in such a small area.
When I stopped at the Little Library in Fort Collins, I had no intention of taking a book. I merely wanted to look. But — as is often the case when I’m looking in bookstores or libraries — a couple of books grabbed hold of me and just wouldn’t let go.
One was Free Prize Inside! The Next Big Marketing Idea by Seth Godin. Despite dealing with a “big” marketing idea, the book itself was fairly small — in other words, the perfect size for reading in its entirety during the plane ride from Colorado to North Carolina. As far as the subject matter goes: I believe that, like it or not, much of life can benefit from a little marketing, so I thought, why not? I did end up reading this book on the plane, and it turned out to be a nice crash course in marketing.
The second book that attached itself to me was Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know by Alexandra Horowitz. I’m thinking that having an insight into what dogs see, smell and know might come in handy during dinner conversations that aren’t exactly swimming along. You know: An awkward silence descends, and I swoop in to fill it with some bit of dog trivia that has everyone suddenly spellbound. I haven’t read this book yet, and, thus, have not tested the theory, but I feel pretty good about it.
My only hesitancy in taking these books was that I had none to leave behind —so I promised myself I’d take a couple of books to the Little Library near me when I returned home. And I’ve learned that it’s perfectly acceptable to do just that; take a book here, leave a book there. It’s all done on the honor system. As long as you’re giving and not just taking, you’re being a good library patron.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m on my way to the Little Library near me, with another book to drop off.
Next week: my top three packing hacks
