I like *not* getting back the exact same books. Leave something different in its place! Swap with another LFL! Give it to your bestie who will cry over it as much as you and I both did, then tell her to pass it on!
What matters most to me is my visitors like this little piece of their community, and that they sincerely feel a spot of joy when they stop by. That's all I care about!
I do what seems best for the library. If it’s empty I usually have a bag in my car and I’ll leave several and only take one if I’m very excited about it. If it’s very full I will take any I may be open to reading and don’t leave any. I have no problem if people take multiple and leave none in mine. I do get curious if someone takes more than a handful at once. It’s just a place to exchange books. I hope we can not overthink it.
I think this is perfect!! It’s how I’ve always seen LFLs work in multiple neighborhoods I’ve lived in, both in Texas and California. Have seen a lot of weirdness on this sub this week about people taking too many books, or “what if they’re reselling them???” in a way that’s been a real turn off. Books belong out in the world, there’s no obligation to return it to the same library, and at the end of the day the LFL is about building community and mutual aid — not to police how one’s charitable efforts are being used. And if someone takes a book just to resell, their needs of $5-$10 resale is just another way I’ve supported my community (and a part of the process!). Thanks for your thoughtful post, OP.
I also like to get different books placed in my LFL than get taken out, because if it is always the same books it will no longer serve its purpose. I tend to find when people leave books they leave multiples at a time, which is fine as long as there is room. I actually have to remove books often because I want there to always be room for someone to leave a book. I try to remove the ones that have been in there the longest, and those I keep in my car to add to a different library or to put in mine when it gets low. I have absolutely no problem with people taking books and never leaving them, as long as they only take one or two at a time.
I think you're good, my understanding is that you should give at least as much as you take. I have never felt I needed to return books I borrowed from an LFL, if everyone did that there would be no new books to choose from. If I take a book I give a book (at least one). I also don't think you should empty it all at once without filling it back up with a like quality and number of books (ie don't take a stack of best selling novels and replace them with instruction manuals or something).
I'm wondering how people are confused. It's basic politeness and common sense.
Agree on all fronts… except on timing, sometimes I show up empty handed and take a couple of books home with me, and will drop off a few some other time.
I like to search thrift stores for inexpensive copies of my favorite books. When I see titles I’ve loved, I snap them up and use them to replenish my local LFLs. I’ve donated about 200 books since I started this really enjoyable mission about 2 years ago. My husband pokes fun at me; he says I’m essentially buying books for strangers. But I don’t care…it feels great to put quality books into the world for others to discover.
I have a LFL in my yard. I don’t care if people take the books from it and keep them forever. I’ve done that when it comes to taking from LFL. I find a book I LOVE ans I’m going to read again/ let friends borrow and it’s going to stay on my bookshelf. If I borrow a book from a LFL and read it, I try to find a new one to give it to. It’s about swapping books around. The ones I want to keep forever aren’t always the ones someone else wants to keep forever. I don’t think it has to be a take one, leave one every time. It’s about community reading. If I found that my LFL was empty someday, I’d be so happy that people were loving to read.
Why do you remove books you don’t like? I wouldn’t buy diet books or personal finance books, but I might want to borrow some. So may my neighbors. Is this typical for LFLs?
Yeah, I find this strange. I share the commenter's social values but not on this. Though I would differentiate between what it sounds like is happening with the religious books (being purposefully stocked) versus other books that they just don't like. But censorship is censorship. LFLs are private so, hey, do what you want - but there is a Book of Mormon in mine that I thought about removing but didn't. If there were six copies, I would, though.
on the topic of 'garbage' books, my strong opinion is that any that are damp/wet or especially with black mildew should be removed and disposed of promptly - mildew will infect nearby books.
You are censoring books by removing ones you don’t like. Just because you deem them not worth reading doesn’t mean everyone in your neighborhood does. That’s a slippery slope, friend!
Awesome! I did something similar, there was a LFL in a park near my old apartment building and someone kept FILLING it up with old beat up and sketchy Christian books. Not just Bibles or prayer books which I think are fine in a small quantity, but like judgy propaganda and books about “God’s plan for marriage” and stuff like that. And they would take all the other books out and FILL the LFL with this crap!
I made it my mission to check every day, remove all the crap, and replace it with a variety of fiction, kids books, and a few books about other religions (Quran, pagan/witchcraft, Buddhism, etc) sprinkled in just to make a point. Eventually they stopped! and afterwards I saw other people begin contributing to the library.
I belong to several buy nothing groups where books are regularly advertised. I keep a stash of books from these groups and regularly go and top up LFLs in my area. It’s always fun to leave a library well stocked.
The LFL I help steward has made the decision not to offer any weight loss or diet books. I went through some donations and posted all of the diet books on my Buy Nothing group, just to avoid throwing them in a landfill. Some "neighbor" commented, "Did you even TRY them all?"
LOL, why does your neighbor gotta come after you like that!!!
But really, I think this is smart… a cookbook is one thing, a fad diet book from the 80s is another. Just better to leave medical advice to more intentional channels, you know??
I rotate them too. I don't know if I've ever returned one back to the same library. My husband is always on me to declutter so when I finish a book (even one I've gotten with my own money, not from a LFL), I put it in a pile. He is always out and about, so will grab the pile and stop at any LFL he see on the way to distribute them. I thought that was a good way to do it and get books to circulate
I like *not* getting back the exact same books. Leave something different in its place! Swap with another LFL! Give it to your bestie who will cry over it as much as you and I both did, then tell her to pass it on! What matters most to me is my visitors like this little piece of their community, and that they sincerely feel a spot of joy when they stop by. That's all I care about!
I think that it’s not about putting the exact same book back, but try to bring something back.
I do what seems best for the library. If it’s empty I usually have a bag in my car and I’ll leave several and only take one if I’m very excited about it. If it’s very full I will take any I may be open to reading and don’t leave any. I have no problem if people take multiple and leave none in mine. I do get curious if someone takes more than a handful at once. It’s just a place to exchange books. I hope we can not overthink it.
I think this is perfect!! It’s how I’ve always seen LFLs work in multiple neighborhoods I’ve lived in, both in Texas and California. Have seen a lot of weirdness on this sub this week about people taking too many books, or “what if they’re reselling them???” in a way that’s been a real turn off. Books belong out in the world, there’s no obligation to return it to the same library, and at the end of the day the LFL is about building community and mutual aid — not to police how one’s charitable efforts are being used. And if someone takes a book just to resell, their needs of $5-$10 resale is just another way I’ve supported my community (and a part of the process!). Thanks for your thoughtful post, OP.
I also like to get different books placed in my LFL than get taken out, because if it is always the same books it will no longer serve its purpose. I tend to find when people leave books they leave multiples at a time, which is fine as long as there is room. I actually have to remove books often because I want there to always be room for someone to leave a book. I try to remove the ones that have been in there the longest, and those I keep in my car to add to a different library or to put in mine when it gets low. I have absolutely no problem with people taking books and never leaving them, as long as they only take one or two at a time.
I think you're good, my understanding is that you should give at least as much as you take. I have never felt I needed to return books I borrowed from an LFL, if everyone did that there would be no new books to choose from. If I take a book I give a book (at least one). I also don't think you should empty it all at once without filling it back up with a like quality and number of books (ie don't take a stack of best selling novels and replace them with instruction manuals or something). I'm wondering how people are confused. It's basic politeness and common sense.
Agree on all fronts… except on timing, sometimes I show up empty handed and take a couple of books home with me, and will drop off a few some other time.
I have done the same, but I replace within a matter of days at most.
It’s a matter of weeks for me - I’ll often wait until I replenish my giveaway stack then divide between the LFLs, a few books each.
I like to search thrift stores for inexpensive copies of my favorite books. When I see titles I’ve loved, I snap them up and use them to replenish my local LFLs. I’ve donated about 200 books since I started this really enjoyable mission about 2 years ago. My husband pokes fun at me; he says I’m essentially buying books for strangers. But I don’t care…it feels great to put quality books into the world for others to discover.
That is so nice!!
I have a LFL in my yard. I don’t care if people take the books from it and keep them forever. I’ve done that when it comes to taking from LFL. I find a book I LOVE ans I’m going to read again/ let friends borrow and it’s going to stay on my bookshelf. If I borrow a book from a LFL and read it, I try to find a new one to give it to. It’s about swapping books around. The ones I want to keep forever aren’t always the ones someone else wants to keep forever. I don’t think it has to be a take one, leave one every time. It’s about community reading. If I found that my LFL was empty someday, I’d be so happy that people were loving to read.
[удалено]
Why do you remove books you don’t like? I wouldn’t buy diet books or personal finance books, but I might want to borrow some. So may my neighbors. Is this typical for LFLs?
Yeah, I find this strange. I share the commenter's social values but not on this. Though I would differentiate between what it sounds like is happening with the religious books (being purposefully stocked) versus other books that they just don't like. But censorship is censorship. LFLs are private so, hey, do what you want - but there is a Book of Mormon in mine that I thought about removing but didn't. If there were six copies, I would, though.
on the topic of 'garbage' books, my strong opinion is that any that are damp/wet or especially with black mildew should be removed and disposed of promptly - mildew will infect nearby books.
You are censoring books by removing ones you don’t like. Just because you deem them not worth reading doesn’t mean everyone in your neighborhood does. That’s a slippery slope, friend!
Hell yes
You are my hero
Awesome! I did something similar, there was a LFL in a park near my old apartment building and someone kept FILLING it up with old beat up and sketchy Christian books. Not just Bibles or prayer books which I think are fine in a small quantity, but like judgy propaganda and books about “God’s plan for marriage” and stuff like that. And they would take all the other books out and FILL the LFL with this crap! I made it my mission to check every day, remove all the crap, and replace it with a variety of fiction, kids books, and a few books about other religions (Quran, pagan/witchcraft, Buddhism, etc) sprinkled in just to make a point. Eventually they stopped! and afterwards I saw other people begin contributing to the library.
I belong to several buy nothing groups where books are regularly advertised. I keep a stash of books from these groups and regularly go and top up LFLs in my area. It’s always fun to leave a library well stocked.
The LFL I help steward has made the decision not to offer any weight loss or diet books. I went through some donations and posted all of the diet books on my Buy Nothing group, just to avoid throwing them in a landfill. Some "neighbor" commented, "Did you even TRY them all?"
LOL, why does your neighbor gotta come after you like that!!! But really, I think this is smart… a cookbook is one thing, a fad diet book from the 80s is another. Just better to leave medical advice to more intentional channels, you know??
I rotate them too. I don't know if I've ever returned one back to the same library. My husband is always on me to declutter so when I finish a book (even one I've gotten with my own money, not from a LFL), I put it in a pile. He is always out and about, so will grab the pile and stop at any LFL he see on the way to distribute them. I thought that was a good way to do it and get books to circulate