It's not often you get something for nothing. But, as Joanna Wane discovers, the rise of the 'little library' movement tells a different story.
It was a tweet that first caught our attention. Not the typical Twitter rant or toxic pile-on but a "happy thread of Niceness" that's set off a chain reaction across Auckland.
"I was listening to the world news on the radio and there was a lot of really depressing stuff happening," says the author of that 33-tweet thread, Julie Fairey, who lives in Waikowhai and chairs the Puketāpapa Local Board. "And I was like, right, here's a happy story of strangers doing something nice for other strangers. I'm going to share this to brighten up everybody's day."
Fairey, who's standing for council in next month's local elections, had been running secondhand book sales as fundraisers for City Vision and was left with many full boxes in her basement when Covid restrictions scuppered that. The closure of public libraries for lengthy periods also severely limited community access to books. So she and her three kids set out on "book bombing" missions to find and fill the free swap boxes she'd noticed popping up around town.
Tapping into the neighbourhood grapevine and employing some dogged detective work, she began to gather information on dozens of little libraries scattered across the isthmus — from repurposed fridges to abandoned bus shelters, a prop from Jane Campion's film "The Piano" and a memorial to a family cat.
A note she left in a Ponsonby letterbox led her to a couple she calls the "godparents of little libraries", who've built 14 of them. They prefer to remain anonymous but many others have shared stories and photographs on the "AKL Little Libraries" page Fairey set up on Facebook last October.
Since then, she's catalogued some 100 of these "community treasures" across wider Auckland — a small selection of them is featured here — and installed one on the berm outside her front gate, complete with a rooftop garden. Not only do they showcase some real creativity, they also represent a sense of connection at a time when many have struggled through the isolation of lockdowns.
"For me, it's a real microcosm of community care. It's something you can do that shows, 'Hey, I care about other people. I've got some spare, I'm going to share it and here's a chance for you to share too.' That's the kind of stuff that fills my cup."
Baines' Little Library, Mt Albert
A prop from the 1993 Jane Campion film "The Piano", this little wooden cupboard was used to furnish the house of George Baines (played by Harvey Keitel) and is named in his honour.
"O", Onehunga
Not only are there eight little libraries scattered across Onehunga that spell out each letter of the suburb's name, but you can search for a hidden phrase painted on to each box and put them in order to reveal a famous literary quote. "So it's a bit of a treasure hunt too," says local builder and book lover Blayde Bullen, who picked up the idea from London. He built the first one a year ago and placed it by the Saltwater Burger Bar, next to his house. "It blew my mind how popular it was. The grass disappeared from the front of it because it was so well-worn from foot traffic."
Each little library takes about eight hours to make before being stencilled with flora and fauna designs and fitted with a bird-shaped handle. One has a rainbow-coloured steel roof. They all have designated guardians, too, but there hasn't been a single case of vandalism. Bullen is now taking commissions, for the cost of materials only. "Books can transport you to another place," he says. "There's no profit, no ulterior motive. It's something purely altruistic for the community."
Rutherford Reserve, Meadowbank
Sisters Mae and Kate Luther, whose house backs on to the reserve, called in the Auckland East Men's Shed to help them make this little library as a 2021 lockdown project. It's right next to the playground and stands at a low height so little people can easily access it. The girls still check on it regularly.
Max's Little Library, Greenlane
In memory of a much-loved neighbourhood black cat and "welcoming guardian" who liked to patrol the entrance to Cornwall Park near his home. Funded by Eco-Neighbourhoods, which supports sustainability initiatives, it was installed last December after Max was killed by a dog.
Piwakawaka, Grey Lynn
Western Springs College student Esther O'Donnell describes herself as chief curator and head of content for the distinctive little library she designed with the help of her uncle, who manufactures boat windscreens. When the light is right, the box seems to glow from within.
Esther was 12 when she broke her leg three summers ago and wanted to pass on the "piles of books" she'd been given that helped her get through. Still wearing a neon-pink cast, she got busy in her uncle's workshop — the library door is made from a Perspex offcut engraved with the image of a fantail (her favourite bird). "Occasionally someone will do a complete overhaul of all the stock and I do that with other little libraries too," says Esther, who's just installed a second design in Ponsonby's Western Park.. "I love the idea that it's different every time you go."
Bus Stop Book Shop, French Bay
In 2019, Zoe Hawkins popped a box of free hand-me-down books into the old stone shelter, abandoned after the bus route changed. Then someone added a few bookshelves and a noticeboard went up. Now, it's home to hundreds of books and occasionally donated furniture.
Hawkins, who has four children, says "a hidden army" of volunteers keep the shelter stocked and tidy. The Bus Stop Book Shop has also generated a few lively stories of its own. A handful of library books checked out in the 1940s and never returned ended up in the shelter and were traced back to the miscreant borrower — who turned out to be the recently retired (wait for it…) librarian at her daughters' school. Best accessed via bush tracks up from the beach.
Free Little Library, Mairangi Bay
Painted duck-egg blue and covered with literary references, from Peter Pan to Charlotte's Web. "It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all." — Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Little Library, Waiheke Island
Standing at the entrance to the Awaawaroa Valley, this is a walk-in shed, really, filled with books and bric-a-brac, and watched over by a funky painted mannequin. Inside, a framed print outlines some local history (in the 19th century, kauri, livestock and shingle were shipped to the mainland from the landing at the bay). "This library stands in memory of [former Waiheke librarian] Di Stodart," it reads. "A true pioneer on this motu and of this valley."
Tiri Rd Little Library, Whangaparāoa Peninsula
Made eight years ago from a bedside cabinet by Manly mother-of-three Andrea Dick, primarily for children: "Everyone should be able to have books, shouldn't they?"
My Lovely Little Library, Royal Oak
Converted from a piece of antique furniture with a decorative glass door, this little library has been in place since 2016 and has its own Facebook page. Flowers are often left on the side shelves.
Vol 2, Balmoral
Built by two local intermediate students, the original Potters Park Book Swap fell victim to an arson attack and was resurrected by a local family as Volume 2.
The Goodwill Library, Māngere Bridge
A repurposed fridge, hosted by a local and painted by her daughter.
Muriwai Little Library
One of the city's more established book exchanges, handily positioned by the Sand Dunz Beach Cafe.
Swap-a-Book, Hobsonville
Take your pick from two repurposed fridges — one for adults and one for children.
