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Chico's Newest 'Little Free Library' Promotes Sharing, Reading, Community

This story is the beginning of a collaboration with Up the Road. See what they're all about at the end of the story, or look for yourself here.

The Little Free Library movement has brought a “take a book, leave a book” ethic to thousands of locations across the country. Chico’s Barber neighborhood is home to one the program’s newest locations. Up the Road’s Sarah Bohannon has the story.

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“I don’t know if that was the best one for him — are you sure you don’t want this one?”

As a retired librarian, Liz Stewart has helped a lot of people find books. But today’s search is far from ordinary as Stewart rummages through a colorful cupboard that holds nearly 40 books in her front yard.

Stewart is the owner of the newly built Barber neighborhood little free library, which is the newest addition of eight in Chico — and number 16408  in the National Little Free Library system. Open to the public and free of charge, these Little Free Libraries only have one unifying rule: take a book, return a book.

“You can always find something. Oh, she did have a bunch of, there was DVDs in here too, last time I was in here.”

That’s Barber resident Reena Schaller. She loves the convenience of the new little free library and says that her neighbors are excited too.

“They’re super excited, they think it’s really neat, and it’s a cool part of the Barber yard, which is our neighborhood. And they just like the community sort of environment, we have a public garden too, and so now we have a little library. It’s just nice.”

For Stewart, the reason for the success of the little free library movement is simple.

“People love to share. They like to be neighborly, they like to share and it just feels really good … What’s on the shelf nobody’s reading, but what you’re putting out there somebody has a chance to look at.”

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That story was produced through collaboration with Up the Road, a nonprofit public interest media project that explores the economy, environment, and social equity in Northern California. To find out what’s new “Up the Road,” including a story and photos of the Barber Neighborhood little free library, go to www.uptheroad.org

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