With the advance of technology and the youth expecting everything to be served up on their plate, one would assume traditional libraries will become obsolete in the future. But, that’s far from happening. According to a Pew Research study, around 53% of the Americans aged 18 to 35 visited a library at least once last year.
And although there are huge and gracious libraries around the world containing millions of books and that many visitors, this one is indeed unique and special because it is full of soul.
It has been “made” by re-purposing the old tree with huge roots that had to be cut down. This rotting tree is outside the home of Sharalee Armitage Howard. She was completely aware that keeping the tree was dangerous, but she didn’t want to lose it either. It has been an important part of the neighborhood in the last 110 years, and to everyone’s surprise, Howard found the perfect way to keep it.
With the help of the remarkable artistic skills of artist Coeur d’Alene from Idaho, the tree was turned into the coziest and most appealing tiny library. Now everyone can enjoy a good book inside the immense tree that was a symbol of the neighborhood.
“We had to remove a huge tree that was over 110 years old, so I decided to turn it into a little free library (which I’ve always wanted),”
Sharalee wrote on her Facebook page.
“Here it is (minus some cleanup, vegetation, and trim work)!”
The converted tree is now called “Little Free (Tree) Library” and it offers some of the most famous books. People are not only given the chance to borrow a book, but will be able to share the ones they possess.
The appearance of the library is pretty attractive, with a glass door and a path made of huge stones. The book cases are illuminated so that one can take a look on the inside without having to open the door.
“A fun detail that didn’t show up in my first picture, is that the dental moulding above the door, is actually little, titled, wooden books,” she writes.
The books are all engraved with the titles of famous books.
This masterpiece gathered the attention of many people, and some local news outlets picked the story behind it.
What Sharalee did is indeed special. She is now a member of the Little Free Library organization that sets small libraries in every corner of the country.
Will your neighborhood consider building one? It’s not only a nice addition, but a way to make the young read more.