March 1, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Little Free Library.

This is such a good idea. A box is installed outside by the street, and painted and decorated. Inside the box can be found books. Anyone can take a book or leave a book. Just like that. Almost 200 of these little free library boxes have been installed in Mississippi. Hattiesburg has 35 all by itself. The whole thing is done by volunteers. Anyone can put up a box, decorate it and put a sign on the side. That is how it got started. Now 2000 have been installed in the US, mostly in rural areas where people have difficulty getting to libraries. I spotted the idea of these little free library boxes on the program, Mississippi Roads, which I watch every week. The program takes me to places in Mississippi that I had not been. Last evening the whole program was on libraries, which included the little free library boxes. Some boxes are fancy and some are plain but they are all useful and are well used. The box in front of the Eudora Welty house is a miniature replica of her house. Several other of the boxes were clearly not made by amateur builders. The whole concept is appealing, where people take it upon themselves to help others. And also put out the books they no longer need or want. Now there is an organization and an e mail address. littlefreelibrary.org. At Playa Royale there is a bookcase in the large reception room. It works just the same way. People read a book and leave it on the shelf. Anyone can leave or take a book. The system is perfect, just like the little free library boxes. Such a clever idea.