If they never bring the books back, that’s OK, say Syracuse-area free library stewards. As more books go, more neighbors and new friends come. That’s what makes the Little Free Libraries work.

The growth of the little libraries in Central New York and worldwide shows how some scrap wood and as little as $35 can promote literacy, build friendships and move piles of dusty books from one reader’s house into the hands of people who might need them the most.

Tina and Melissa Lesley-Fox, and their 8-year-old, Amelia, opened their little library in front of their home on Teall Avenue early last year. They used many of their own books to start the sharing.

Now, Amelia spies on the box, waiting to see who comes by. Sometimes, it’s immigrant children, learning to read English in their new home. Sometimes, Amelia ends up on the front steps with them, reading together.

“It’s such a great way to bring people together who might otherwise not meet each other,” Tina Lesley-Fox said.

For the Lesley-Fox family, the library came as a gift from an employer. For others, like Bob Kratz in Westvale, it came with a goal. Kratz and his wife, Chris, have lived on South Orchard Road in Westvale for 32 years. Three decades ago, they were among the youngest neighbors. With two young boys, meeting people came easily.

Now Kratz guesses they are the oldest on the block.

“Every day, there’s people going by,” he said. “And I’m saying, ‘I never saw them before.’ So I figured this is a good way to meet all of them.”

He did, and now Kratz’s neighbors are meeting neighbors, he said. “I can’t tell you how happy I am that I did it,” Kratz said. “I’ve already ordered Christmas lights for the thing.”

Even Syracuse University’s Near West Side Initiative found a large solution in the little boxes. The neighborhood’s closest library is Mundy, a long walk across several blocks, on the other side of South Geddes Street.

“For a lot of people living on this side of the library, it felt just a bit too far,” said Maarten Jacobs, the director of the initiative.

With the neighborhood’s help, Jacobs’ staff cleaned up some empty phone kiosks and held a book drive. Nearly three years later, the inventory in the boxes still turns over every couple of weeks. The initiative plans to expand with more boxes later this year or in early 2015, he said.

HOW IT WORKS
It boils down to take a book or leave a book. There’s no tracking system and no requirement to return “borrowed” books or submit donations to replace those checked out. That’s the point, Jacobs said: for people to fill their homes with books.

“That’s a great problem to have,” Jacobs said.

Kratz sought out books on eBay, and once people knew what he was doing, they donated more, he said. “It just snowballed,” he said.

He opened his in July. So far, he hasn’t had to dip into his stash to refill the box. People have started leaving, and taking, books on their own. Some people drive up, others stop during daily dog walks.

“Kids books are so popular, I’m thinking of putting on an addition,” he said.

Kratz and others said they have a steady supply of books and don’t need more. Their advice: If you’re looking to thin crowded bookshelves, consider starting a little free library of your own.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
If you choose to register on the worldwide network, the Little Free Library organization requests a $35 fee. In return, you get a registration number and a plaque to put on the box. The library also sells pre-made water-tight boxes, though those can be pricey. An Amish, two-story brownstone retails for $307.95.

The $35 is worth it, Kratz said. But for the box itself? Ask your friends or neighbors for help. Kratz used old shipping material to put together his library.

SU simply looked at what the neighborhood had to offer – empty phone boxes.

“The neighborhood is urban,” Jacobs said. “We want to celebrate that and use materials that area already existing in the neighborhoods.”
The Near West Side Initiative’s libraries are at three locations: Otisco and Niagara streets; at 601 Tully St.; and along St. Joseph’s Primary Care Center – West on Gifford Street.

Kratz went one step further and added a few plants and new landscaping to the area. When he went to the nursery to get plants, he told the seller what he was doing. She, in turn, donated a large boulder to help anchor the space.

HOW MANY BOOKS?
Kratz excitedly checks his library nearly every evening. The three on the Near West Side are checked every three or four days, Jacobs said. Both said the turnover rate is steady. Those on the Near West Side require about 10 to 15 new books every few days.

The Lesley-Fox family figured out that if they clear out their box every few weeks, the new supply re-energizes readers. “We end up with more books in there,” said Tina Lesley-Fox.

A couple of weeks ago, Tina went out with a restocking of books to find a dad and two youngsters waiting.

“He said that this library has saved his life,” Tina said. “They wouldn’t have had the books without this library.”

SU’s Initiative has a solid supply of fiction, for adults and children. But the group needs bi-lingual books, especially for children, Jacobs said. For now, the other books in the system – and the people taking and leaving books – are keeping the boxes filled.

HOW ABOUT VANDALISM?
Well, it can happen, all stewards said. But, so far, the mischief has been minor. And, in one case, it brought the neighbors even closer together.

Tina Lesley-Fox said her family shut down the library a while back after all the books went missing in a day. They put up a sign saying they were taking a break. Soon, word got out about the theft. And, within a week, two girls came to the house with the missing books.

“Word had gotten back to them that it wasn’t cool,” Lesley-Fox said. And the library quickly reopened.

HOW MANY ARE THERE?
Worldwide, thousands. So many that one Google map can’t bookmark them all. Kratz, who registered this summer, is No. 16,059.

In the Syracuse-area, there are at least seven. In addition to the five above, there is one on East Seneca Turnpike in Jamesville and another at Tim’s Pumpkin Patch in Marcellus.

But with the one at Tim’s, there’s a catch. The library has to close down in fall and winter to make room for storage, said Erica Leubner. “It will open in April, when our asparagus is ready,” she said.

Contact Teri Weaver anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-470-2274

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