After spending several days at a gathering discussing cultural mega-projects, it was a welcome relief to discover the Little Free Library project, which has just found a foothold near my home in Wisconsin. Little Free Libraries are tiny shelters for books for community members to find interesting things to read, and to share the books they love. They are built and maintained by members of the community, or by community groups. And they are stocked by the people who use them.
Large-scale cultural facility projects are bold efforts to reshape their communities through culture. They take Herculean coordination, planning, and resource development to construct, and equal efforts to maintain. Little Free Libraries are subatomic, by comparison, and can be built on a whim and managed in a moment (just take a look at some recommended blueprints).
I’m not suggesting one is a substitute for the other. But it can be useful to explore the full spectrum of cultural construction as you consider how to change your own surroundings. It’s also worth imagining: What would the performing arts equivalent be of the Little Free Library? What’s the diminutive version of Disney Hall?
There’s a challenge! In fact, it’s not about scale, it’s about impact. So our solution is found space – a setting in which a performance can be mounted, performed and then struck with no lasting impact. It’s happening now in pop-ups, parks and pools, and I think we’ll see more as time goes by. It’s not the only answer, but it does represent an excellent antidote to the monsters and helps us think about why place matters.
Did you know that my dad (whom you’ve probably met at various IVE events) is the guy who came up with the Little Free Libraries? I have to say that I was not exactly sold on them at first — at the very least, skeptical of the ability to coordinate continuous upkeep as part of a larger effort — but they’ve really taken off.