If You Can't Start a Little Free Library

Setting up a Free or Donate bookstall is a great option if you can't start a Little Free Library.

You may live in an apartment or a house without a suitable space outside, or live in a very quiet street that has low foot traffic with very few people passing by.

Perhaps you're unable to get permission to set up a neighbourhood Little Free Library from your local Homeowners' Association (HOA), or zoning regulations are causing a problem.

You may not have the finances to buy a Little Free Library box, or kit, especially if you have to pay a local handyman to install it. There are budget Little Free Library boxes for sale at many third-party outlets, which can be quite cheap to buy, but you will still have the same installation costs.

You can build a homemade one and install it yourself of course, but it all takes time, effort and DIY skills that many people don't possess. Even if you repurpose some other item, like a wooden cabinet or newspaper vending box, it won't eliminate the DIY completely.

Free or Donate bookstalls

A Free or Donate bookstall avoids all of these problems, and many other issues.

• Bookstalls are located in cafes, coffee shops and other indoor community venues, not outside your home, so it makes no difference where you live.
• It's a safe and secure location with guaranteed customers for your books.
• You only need permission from the owner of the venue. No HOAs to battle against.
• It's free! All you need is an old bookcase, which are often given away on Facebook Marketplace.
• No maintenance is needed as a bookstall is indoors. Outdoor Little Free Libraries have to be weatherproofed and repainted regularly.
• No problems with damp, mould and pests that can destroy your books.
• No problems with vandalism. An outdoor Little Free Library can sometimes be damaged, but this never happens with a bookstall at an indoor venue, as it's a highly visible location with staff present.
• No problems with dumping. People may leave random junk at an outdoor Little Free Library that they think someone might want.
• No problems with theft. This can be a problem for some stewards of Little Free Libraries. People will drive by and completely clear them out of every single book, usually to resell them. When you have a bookstall in somewhere like a cafe or coffee shop, this never happens.
• You'll be supporting a local business, as they can promote the offer of free books to their customers, which will increase foot traffic into their premises.
• You'll be raising money for charity, as many people will choose to make a voluntary donation for their books.
• As you're supporting a charity, people will donate books more frequently than they would to a normal book swap box. Most bookstalls are self-sustaining and rarely need to be topped up.

Key differences

If you're interested in setting up a Free or Donate bookstall, as an alternative to a Little Free Library, it's important to understand the following key differences.

The books are free or donate

People are simply invited to take a book for free or donate to charity. It's not a book swap, although people are welcome to use it as one if they wish.

Don't worry about running out of books. You'll be swamped with book donations!

Bookstalls are indoors

Free or Donate bookstalls are located at indoor venues like cafes and coffee shops.

Little Free Libraries can also be indoors of course, but they are primarily located outside private homes and in other outdoor public spaces like local parks.

They support local businesses

Giving away books for free is a more effective way to attract customers to a venue than a standard book exchange.

They support charities

Many people will choose to make a voluntary donation to charity for their book.

Get started

If you'd like to get started, please see the volunteer page for more information.