Sunday, November 10, 2013

Twenty New "Little Free Libraries" Erected In Near North, Camden Neighborhoods...

Facebook photo, used under First Amendment Fair Comment
and Criticism, and implied permission to disseminate community
information, blog post by John Hoff

This is the kind of story happening all the time in North Minneapolis which this blogger SHOULD be writing about, all the time, but when I was taught journalism in the 1980s we were forced to shout "If it bleeds, it leads" until more senior journalism students were satisfied, and would stop hitting our bare asses with a rolled up newspaper.

And then people wonder why I'm always saying dark things, under my breath, about "dead tree media."

Anyway, awesome stuff is happening in Camden and Near North with the erection of numerous Little Free Libraries...

...which kind of look like birdhouses, but contain free books shared with neighbors. The idea is to promote literature, reading, education, sharing, and all kinds of totally awesome stuff.

Click here for the national (no, WORLDWIDE!!!) website of Little Free Library. 

On November 9, 20 more Little Free Libraries were launched in Camden and Near North at an event which included author appearances, food, prizes, and tons of books donated by neighbors.

(The word "tons" is figurative, but was used by neighbors to convey the idea of a WHOLE LOT OF BOOKS)

More little free libraries are in the works. Here's a photo, published on Facebook, of a donation of shingles to create more.


The Little Free libraries people are always looking for more books to "restock." But the beauty of the little libraries is people can just put their free donated books inside, creating a wonderful exchange.

How I will find to write all the good stories along with "leading, bleeding" stories is a continuing conundrum for JNS blog. But thanks to the fact I can't access the online Minnesota court system on Sunday to write about Wanda Lynn Nunn, today THIS story rose to the top of the bloody pile. 

8 comments:

Johnny Northside! said...

I was told in a Facebook conversation that in the Victory neighborhood ALONE there are over 30 Little Free Libraries.

Here is the Facebook group of Northside Little Free Libraries.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/northsidelittlefreelibraries/

Anonymous said...

I'm sure they will make wonderful toilets for northsiders to vandalize and urinate in. Waste of time

Jean Marie said...

Hey, Anonymous. You're an ass.

Duane Atter said...

The pictures posted reflect the builds in Victory. 20 LFL's were applied for, and granted by the Victory Neighborhood Assn through the Pohlad Foundation, to provide LFLs in Victory. I have more pics that will be ready soon that I can provide from the ViNA build workshops.

Johnny Northside! said...

Thank you Duane, and thank you for being such a pleasant and polite gentleman after the "recent unpleasantness" of the Johnson/Brogan political race. Of course I would be delighted to receive those photos and any information you may have about what's happening with the Little Libraries.

Anonymous said...

I'm going to guess that you particularly liked getting your bare ass beat, John. Naughty boy. (P.S. We're watching.)

Johnny Northside! said...

You aren't watching diddly doodle. The comment submitted about "whose car did you borrow" was a particularly ham-handed attempt to bluff and revealed you for the weak, anonymous, pathetic bluffer that you are.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm busy churning out content for the hottest blog in Minneapolis.

Johnny Northside! said...

It should be noted a grant from the Pohlad Foundation was responsible for those 20 Little Free Libraries.