Walking through Washington, D.C. with his daughter, Lawrence resident Scott Bruno was struck by a small structure with a little window revealing a few books enclosed in the box. It was a Little Free Library, the “take a book, leave a book” program that is popular all over the country.
Little Free Libraries have sprouted up across the United States and aim to bring books from a variety of genres and authors into the hands of a multitude of readers.
According to the official website the grassroots project has spawned over 40,000 libraries since its inception in 2009. Bruno recently brought the little free library experience to his neighborhood, constructing one outside of his home.
Bruno, a lifelong New Jersey resident, grew up in West Windsor and has called Lawrenceville home for the past 26 years. He decided to construct and register one of the miniature libraries on his property after one caught his eye while he was visiting his daughter, Amy Leo (née Bruno).
“I was immediately drawn to the idea of sharing books and creating a space where people could take or leave a book that could be recycled instead of being discarded,” Bruno said.
While researching, Bruno said that he found several photographs of the libraries online and noticed that each was unique. The design is entirely up to the owner of the library, and a range of styles with a variety of shelf space, colors, embellishments, themes and construction can be located on the official directory map. Some are tall, like the 6-foot-tall library on Lovers Lane in Princeton, while others are shaped like mini one-room schoolhouses. Bruno’s is a tall, red, house-shaped structure with two shelves of space.
“Little Libraries are small structures personalized to reflect the character and personality of the homeowner. They are all very different. I like that they are charming, cute, and interesting to look at and enjoy,” Bruno said. “My library is red with a black roof. I wanted it to look like a schoolhouse.”
Bruno credits his parents, Spencer and Elise Bruno of Cranbury Township, with inspiring a love of reading in him from an early age. Bruno said that he and his wife, Karen, enjoyed passing those traditions on to their own two daughters, Amy and Elizabeth.
“The high point of my day was reading to my children when they were small,” Bruno said. “Those are very fond memories.”
Bruno said he stocked the library with between 50 and 60 books that he hand-selected from yard sales, his personal collection and a sale at a local library. An assortment of books for readers of all ages, including literature for toddlers, children, adolescents and adults, is available in his library.
According to the official registry, the library at 9 Millbrook Lane is only one of two official Little Free Libraries in Lawrence Township. It is Little Free Library Charter 37604 near Darrah Lane and Princeton Pike, and Bruno welcomes his neighbors to stop by to read, browse, and borrow from his array of books.
Since the library opened, it has been a popular new fixture among friends and neighbors from several nearby streets, Bruno said. Parents sometimes stop on a nice day to read a picture book during walks with younger children.
“My dad has always been into working on new fun projects around my house and in our yard. I was so excited when he came up with the Little Free Library project,” Elizabeth Bruno said. “We’ve had some great conversations with people we’ve never even seen before who stop to look at books. It’s been a wonderful addition to our neighborhood.”
Little Free Libraries provide a flexible and simple system of book lending and borrowing summarized in the program’s motto of “take a book, return a book.” The model permits people to return a different book than the one they borrowed. People may donate books to any registered free library in the database by simply adding them to the shelves. These routines allow the selections of books within the libraries to update naturally.
According to the official Little Free Library website, the libraries run completely on the honor system. People are not charged late fees or billed for lost or damaged books. In the event that a book cannot be returned, a different book of any genre, can be left in its place. This also allows people to pass along a borrowed book that they particularly enjoyed to another reader.
For more information, visit littlefreelibrary.com, where you can find links about promoting literacy in the neighborhood, maps of registered libraries, and details about how to establish a library. The website also has suggestions and instructions for building a library. Pre-built libraries can be purchased online starting at $199.
Scott Bruno poses with the Little Free Library on his property at 9 Millbrook Lane.,
