First Little Free Library established in St. Ignatius
courtesy photo
Mimi Hildebrandt stands next to the Little Free Library Mission Valley, located in front of Mission Valley Properties in St Ignatius.
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News from Mimi Hildebrandt
ST. IGNATIUS — Little Free Libraries are a global phenomenon that began in 2009 with the first LFL built in Hudson, Wisconsin by Todd Bol. The small front yard and public area book exchanges number more than 150,000 around the world in over 100 countries — from Iceland to Tasmania to Pakistan, and now to St. Ignatius, Montana. A new Little Free Library, located in front of Mission Valley Properties, 101 Mountain View Drive in St. Ignatius will join other LFLs in accessibility of free books for babies, children, middle school age, young adults (YA), and adults. Enjoy reading a book while sitting on the nearby bench, take it home to keep and read again, share it by giving it to someone else who would enjoy it, or return it to the LFL. If you take one book at a time and return any book next time you visit, the Little Free Library will become self-sustaining. From time to time it receives donations of new and gently used books from organizations and from readers who want to share their books.
The Little Free Library Mission Valley opened Saturday, Sept. 30. It is open 24/7 to take a book and share a book. “Our Little Free Library doesn’t belong to only a few people, it belongs to the whole town,” says Mimi Hildebrandt, designer and Co-Steward of the Little Free Library Mission Valley, charter #137674. “It’s been my prayer that this Little Free Library will bring joy of book ownership and love of reading in our community. It’s my hope that every home in Mission Valley has books for all ages to read, that more books are accessible to everyone, that more books are read, loved, and some are returned so others can enjoy it. My husband Alan built the LFL from scrap lumber, and Julie Bauman painted it using leftover paints. It’s beautiful how God can take my vision, find the right gifted people to create it, and turn leftovers into something so wonderful to be shared by so many.”
The Little Free Library 501 (3)c nonprofit organization has been honored by the Library of Congress, the National Book Foundation, and the American Library Association. Reader’s Digest named them one of the “50 Surprising Things We Love about America.” To learn more, please visit LittleFreeLibrary.org, download the mobile app at LittleFreeLibrary.org/app, and find other book-sharing boxes with the world map at LittleFreeLibrary.org/OurMap. You can leave comments about this library on its pin on the world map, or contact Mimi directly at mission_lfl@yahoo.com.
