‘Little Free Libraries’ legal --- thanks to 9-year-old Spencer Collins

[kpete]

Nine-year-old Spencer Collins will be able put his “Little Free Library” back in his front yard first thing in the morning.

The Leawood City Council unanimously approved a temporary moratorium Monday night that exempts the little lending libraries from a city ordinance that prohibits structures in front yards. The moratorium, effective Tuesday, will last until Oct. 20.

As soon as the moratorium passed, Mayor Peggy Dunn called Spencer to the front of the room to hand him a book for his library, an action that received applause from the audience.

Spencer Collins, 9, needed a milk crate to be seen, but his message came through loud and clear Monday night as the Leawood City Council unanimously approved a moratorium that temporarily exempts “Little Free Libraries” such as Spencer’s from an ordinance that prohibits structures in front yards.

Spencer Collins, 9, needed a milk crate to be seen, but his message came through loud and clear Monday night as the Leawood City Council unanimously approved a moratorium that temporarily exempts “Little Free Libraries” such as Spencer’s from an ordinance that prohibits structures in front yards. | Keith Myers/The Kansas City Star

Spencer made national headlines last month after Leawood officials asked his family to take their little library down, which sparked an outcry from the family and other supporters of the Little Free Library movement.



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Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/government-politics/article687562.html#storylink=cpy
http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article607370.html

[Rex]

1. What a wonderful story! I love this kids passion for books!

In this day and age of technological recreation, it is wonderful to see a young kid want to read good old paperbacks!

Gives me hope...the little things in life like this, they give me hope for the future.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Good for him. Some of these cities' rules are so stupid.

The Little Free Library movement is really taking off. I have one in my front yard (Minneapolis does not object to such things, fortunately), and it is fascinatingly self-sustaining. When I first got it I put some books in it that I didn't want to keep, and pretty soon people were adding books and taking books and returning them, and now, 2 years later, the thing is packed with books - and they are constantly circulating. Some bozo occasionally leaves fundie religious tracts in it, but I take those out. Now there's a LFL about every 4 or 5 blocks in this neighborhood. If you want to get one and don't live in a ridiculously authoritarian neighborhood that won't let you put "structures" in your yard, look here: http://littlefreelibrary.org/

[Aristus]

3. Good for them. And good for him.

Every time I hear disgruntled old folks complaining about 'kids these days!...', I remind them of young people like Spencer.

Kids who are full of hope, and a desire to make the world a better place should be encouraged by everyone they meet. Especially by figures with civic authority.

[Orrex]

4. I'm surprised that someone didn't arrest him for theft of a milk crate

Great news!

[littlemissmartypants]

7. You sillie. nt

[stillwaiting]

5. How big of an asshole do you have to be to object to this? Seriously! nt

[littlemissmartypants]

6. OMGawd!

This makes me CRY!
THANKS SPENCER!
I want to build one of these for my little town.

[ReRe]

8. K&R

That kid is going to go far! What. A. Sweetheart! I wonder if his dad helped him build that little library? To the person at the City Council meeting who spoke against it: Get a life, you scrooge SOB! What is it about city/town/neighborhood council meetings that draws out the old Republican curmudgeons who bitch and gripe about every little thing... like they own the place?
You go, Spencer Collins, and don't you stop!

[redqueen]

9. Excellent

[hfojvt]

10. I thought about making one of these myself

I do have a ton of books.

However, there are generally no kids in this neighborhood, and plus, nothing I could build would have survived last night's storm. I'd have a case of soggy books.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. There don't have to be kids in the neighborhood.

This isn't a kids-only program; the books can be for adults as well, which most of the ones in my library are. It was a great way for me to recycle the books I wasn't going to read again. The way the libraries are designed seems to protect the books quite well - mine has survived two bad Minnesota winters and several torrential downpours, and the books have remained dry. You can get plans here: http://littlefreelibrary.org/builders/

[tblue37]

13. Another neat thing to do to circulate books is to "free" them in the "wild."

Here is the relevant website:

http://www.bookcrossing.com

The idea is to leave a book in a place where it is likely to be noticed and picked up by someone who thinks it looks interesting. You can also leave in it a note suggesting that it be "set free" after being read, with the same sort of note, and that the reader consider "freeing" other books into circulation.

The Book Crossing site's greeting is "Welcome to the World's library!"

[malaise]

11. Sweet

Too many morons have power