Why I Love... Community Libraries

Our apartment building has a small community library in the laundry room. Residents are free to drop-off and/or pick-up books as they wish. I've left several books on the shelves myself. While I have not yet taken a title home with me, I often find myself perusing the collection as I wait for my laundry to finish. There is a large mix of books available from non-fiction to romance to reference. Each book came from somewhere and is looking for its next home.

In addition to the bookcase, there is a small magazine rack for people to drop of their old issues. During my wedding magazine binge, I would leave all my read magazines for others. They were taken (and enjoyed, I hope) by others in minutes. Once, a woman just took them straight from me before I even got the chance to add them to the rack.

I love the idea of a community library (and little free libraries). They are a simple, fun, and free way to create a sense of unity among a group of strangers. I always hope that someone will get as much or more pleasure out of an item I leave.