Duluth Little Free Library Guide
It’s been more than a year since the first post on Perfect Duluth Day about Little Free Libraries, and the trend seems to be growing. So now it’s time to update the list and include some photos to show what’s out there.
Little Free Libraries, of course, are boxes full of books where anyone may stop by and pick some up or drop some off.
(As usual, click on these photos to see them larger.)
997 84th Ave. W. (Morgan Park neighborhood)
Steve & Janelle Schoenbauer, Stewards #2336
16 E. Seventh St. (Central Hillside neighborhood)
Colin Engstrom, Steward #8416
1612 E. Skyline Parkway (East Hillside neighborhood)
John Pastor, Steward #2278
2831 Minnesota Ave. (Park Point neighborhood)
Bruce Lunning
1614 Jefferson St. (Endion neighborhood)
Loaves and Fishes
1712 Jefferson St. (Endion neighborhood)
Dorothy Day House
518 N. 19th Ave. E. (Chester Park neighborhood)
Thomas Dwyer, Steward #7998
2711 E. Fifth St. (Chester Park neighborhood)
Kristine Kolenz
2039 Woodhaven Lane (Hunters Park neighborhood)
Amy Bubacz, Steward #7256
204 Vermilion Road (Hunters Park neighborhood)
William Schuldt, Steward #9119
26 W. Mankato St. (Woodland neighborhood)
Sarah Syria, Steward #6392
3802 Allendale Ave. (Woodland neighborhood)
Jonathan Otis, Steward #404
401 Snively Road (Morley Heights neighborhood)
Will and Sally Munger, Stewards #1093
4005 Dodge St. (Lakeside neighborhood)
Joetta Snow, Steward #328
4302 Gilliant St. (Lakeside neighborhood)
Patricia Jackson, Steward #7553
4305 Luverne St. (Lakeside neighborhood)
Stephen Rice and Elizabeth Rumsey, Stewards #2220
4701 Colorado St. (Lakeside neighborhood)
Christopher Mcintosh
5420 Tioga St. (Lakeside neighborhood)
Noah & Erin Garrison
There might be a few in Duluth we’re missing, so let us know about them in the comments. There are also at least two in Proctor and one in Superior, but we’ll stick with covering Duluth since there are so many.
I wrote an update for the book publishing industry earlier this year on the LFF movement, which is radiating outward from Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Building Momentum for Little Free Libraries
Great one on Colorado Street in Lakeside. No plexiglass front, but well worth a look inside. I have found some excellent titles.
The one on Skyline between Chester Parkway and Chester Bowl is convenient for hikers/bikers/walkers visiting the trail system or the bowl.
There’s one on East First Street a block or two west of Hawthorne.
Does anyone else notice the trend of the majority of the Little Free Libraries being in East Duluth/more affluent neighborhoods? Not that that’s a bad thing, it would just be great to see them spread all throughout town. It’d be great to get more LFLs into areas such as the Central Hillside, Lincoln Park, etc. and to stock them with more kids/teen books to keep everyone interested in reading.
I’ve got a bunch of leftover cedar shakes, so I was thinking about building one. That’d put Denfeld on the map at least.
Not too surprising that most of the LFLs are on the eastern side of town. Those things cost $$ if you buy them from LFL and register them and then stock them. But LFL is working with the City of Minneapolis to install LFLs in underserved parts of the city. Maybe wskyline, you can talk to LFL and the City of Duluth and get things going in the western part of the city.
I hope you do it Special K!
Claire, I looked at how much they are to buy and wow those are expensive! I don’t actually live in the West Duluth area any more, but it’d be great to get them out there. I wonder how much it would cost to buy the materials instead of buying the pre-made houses… Maybe I’ll have to investigate.
I’m also really curious if there are any LFL stewards on PDD that can give an idea of how often it gets used, and any problems or awesome stories they have.
Yesterday’s edition of the Chisholm Free Press ran a front-page story about the one LFL in Chisholm. That paper doesn’t have a website, but luckily, the Hibbing Daily Tribune also picked up the story, and also ran it on the front page.
Wow, I just checked out the website and those things are insanely expensive. The most basic enclosed unit is $175, and does not include plexiglass, knob, decorative add-ons, trim or finish. Plus shipping to Duluth is $43.75, bringing the total up to $218.75 for an unfinished plywood box.
To put this in perspective, a 4’x 8′ sheet of plywood at Menards runs about $15-20. An 8′ 4×4 (way more than you need) runs around $8. I’m guessing you could build your own for around 1/8 of the price of ordering one.
I’ve got one up in my front yard in the Hammond Park neighborhood of Superior (1506 N. 19th St.) ~Adam Ritscher
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Still missing in the post above is the one on First Street. I’ll get there eventually.
Thanks for including the Gilliat Street Little Free Library. (Not from a kit!)
Will there be a little library box put in 40th west area?
Marian, it’s up to homeowner’s to put them up; it’s not an organized city project. So the answer is maybe, someday, if someone feels like it.
Marian, here’s one near Cody Street:
629 N. 56th Ave. W. (West Duluth neighborhood)
Stanley & Linda Panchott
New this summer:
2222 Pershing St. (Piedmont neighborhood)
Brian Robert
There are two more in my neighborhood: One on the corner of Roslyn Ave and Carlyle, and another a block away from that one on the old library building on Woodland Ave. (The brick building next to the old Snow White.)
There is one on Pizzaro, corner house of Pizzaro and 61st Avenue West. I don’t think it gets much use, the books never change (and a handful of them came from me).
Thanks for this list, please keep updating it as you discover more. I’m always on the hunt for used books to read and a place to donate the ones I no longer want to keep.
It has been a long time since this list was started, but I wanted to add ours.