A wise drag legend likes to remind us that reading is what? … FUNDAMENTAL! “Say hello to the newest (and cutest) Little Free Library in West Hollywood!” Reads a post on the WeHo Arts official social media platforms. “Made by Uriel at Ryan Brewer Studio, this LFL is located at 8212 Norton Avenue and its design mimics the house that is on the property.”
Little Free Libraries are small community-run book exchanges which help foster a sense of community and a love of literacy among those who use and maintain them. The City of West Hollywood has made a strong commitment to supporting the literary arts, and as such, the City is running a program to provide micro-grants to West Hollywood residents who wish to install and maintain a one on private property. Micro-grants are in the amount of $600 each (enough to cover the purchase and registration, or to offset the costs of building one).
The City of West Hollywood installed its first official Little Free Library on January 23, 2016 as a part of the MLK, Jr. Day of Service at West Hollywood Elementary School located at 970 Hammond Street. Feel free to drop by and leave a book or take a book!
There are 7 Little Free Libraries funded by City of West Hollywood through WeHo Arts:
- 723 Westbourne Dr
- 970 Hammond St – WeHo Elementary
- 1141 N Vista St
- 8628 Holloway Dr – Pacific Hills School
- 8707 Ashcroft Ave
- 8212 Norton Ave
- 8500 Santa Monica Blvd (Bikes and Hikes)
To find one near you, click here to be redirected on the map.
WeHo residents can become stewards of a Little Free Library. Stewards are private individuals who enjoy sharing books and literature with neighbors and enjoy the sense of community that the world of literature fosters. Stewards must be committed to taking care of their Little Free Library for a minimum of 1 year and commit to registering it at http://littlefreelibrary.org/registeryourlibrary/. Only one grant may be received per property parcel. This contract will need to be signed to receive the grant funds.
The responsibilites of a Steward include:
- If you are not the property owner, obtaining property owner’s permission to install on the property site.
- Purchasing or building. (https://littlefreelibrary.myshopify.com/collections/little-free-libraries).
- Maintaining for a minimum period of 1 year.
- Registering the location on http://littlefreelibrary.org/registeryourlibrary/ .
- Keeping it stocked. (The Friends of the West Hollywood Library have generously offered to supply books to stewards.)
- Overall maintenance.
If you have questions regarding this program contact the program administrator Mike Che, Arts Coordinator for the City of West Hollywood, at [email protected].
