Commiserating over their overflowing bookshelves and the teetering piles of novels in the corners of their space-challenged New York City apartments, author Emily Jenkins and Library Journal staffer Barbara Genco decided to do something about their problem. Together they purchased a Little Free Library and installed it in their Brooklyn neighborhood. "I love [Little Free Libraries] as ways of promoting reading, re-using books, and creating a sense of community. Barbara, being a super librarian, always has loads of books to give away, and so do I—so together we decided to put one up. One nice thing is that a number of families in the neighborhood immediately asked if they could donate books to the library as well as take them." Jenkins also reports that neighborhood children with a lemonade stand counted six "library patrons" in 90 minutes.  

Author Emily Jenkins (l.) and Library Journal's Barbara Genco (r.) install a Little Free Library in their Brooklyn, NY, neighborhood.