My wife and I have been intrigued by the idea of a neighborhood library for awhile – an interest piqued by the growing Little Free Library movement. Perhaps you’ve seen them around – little boxes or buildings placed in a yard, each encouraging neighbors to take a book or leave a book for their neighbors to enjoy. Until now, those libraries were either built buy their caretakers or ordered from craftsman – but for inexperienced builders such as myself, none were really simple or affordable enough to make me pull the trigger. Then came some news out of Ohio that the team at The Simplay3 Company were working on a solution – a simpler option “for folks wanting to make a positive impact in their community.” Their new Simplay3 Sharing Library is the end result of designers who found themselves inspired by the Little Free Library movement and wanted to get them into as many neighborhoods as possible.
Now if you’re not familiar with The Simplay3 Company, but it sounds a little familiar… it should, and I’ll explain why. It’s a new company – the third company – from founder Tom Murdough, the man who founded Little Tikes and The Step2 Company. After selling Step2 back in 2007 and retiring, Murdough realized that he wasn’t content to just sit back and relax. He wanted to get back into making quality products for kids and grownups alike – products “Made in America by American workers.” He got back in the game, and he started a new company in the same town as his last one – and he staffed it with some familiar faces from his past.
Simplay3 sent us a Sharing Library for review, and quite simply, we love it. I installed it last Friday (it goes over the top of a 48″ 4×4 post with 26″ below ground/22″ above) and got to work in stocking up. The design looks great – similar in quality and and design to their mailboxes, but with a look the mirrors a little house. There’s a clear plexiglass window that allows passers-by to get a glimpse inside, and the easy-open door is held by a magnetic catch.
We’ve decided to do our best to keep it stocked with a mix of books for all ages – from little kids to tweens, teens and grownups. One week in, and the library is starting to see some use. I used our neighborhood Facebook group (which I created and administer) to alert our friends about the new Sharing Library. Immediately, those walking their dogs or out with their kids started to take notice. And every morning before school, our girls take a look to see if any books have been removed or added.
While I haven’t yet registered our library as a “charter” for the Little Free Library movement (which is an organized nonprofit), I might. For now I’m just digging seeing the neighbors take notice as they share their love of books with one another.
The Simplay3 Sharing Library is available now, direct from the official website or through Amazon.
