From far away, the neighborhood is unassuming: neat rows of manicured houses and sprawling trees narrowing to the horizon. However, upon closer inspection, this neighborhood is unique — walking up the gravel sidewalk of a particular house leads you to a wooden box with a large glass pane, rows of books ranging from thin picture books to long fantasy novels organized neatly inside. This is a little library — a “take a book, share a book” free book exchange that can be found all across the globe. Despite the size, each little library has a captivating backstory and a profound impact on their community.

Born out of kindness, generosity and oftentimes a deep passion for reading, little libraries have an amazing capability to bring people together, whether through the joy of receiving new books or the happiness of dropping off old ones to be discovered by someone else. Three such libraries exist in the San José community, one of which is proudly owned by Angela Cao and Kevin Zhao. They received this library from the previous owners when they moved in about two years ago. Their children — Alex Zhao and Evan Zhao, 4 and 6 years old respectively — found some of their favorite books inside. 

“Evan doesn’t really read a lot of English yet, so he enjoys picture books about birds, bugs and butterflies,” Cao said. “Alex got a book about building sand castles from the library and he really enjoys it. That book is still in our house now.”

Additionally, Cao remembers a moment when an older gentleman took his two grandchildren on a walk through their neighborhood. Watching the scene unfold from a large glass window in her living room, Cao was delighted when the older gentleman and his two grandchildren stopped by her house, enticed by the little library out front. The two grandchildren, still too small to reach for a book themselves, gestured excitedly toward the library while the older gentleman grabbed a book for them. Each grandchild left with a smile and a thin children’s book clutched to their chests. 

“It was really a blessing to see the library bring joy and comfort to other people,” Cao said. 

Inspired by moments like this, Cao and Zhao hope to keep the library up and running for many years. But Cao and Zhao’s library is not the only little library in the San José community. Another stands on Arlington Lane, owned by Marion Sotcher and Fred Sotcher, both avid readers. At night, they love to sit in their cozy living room and peruse their Kindles for books to read. Wanting to share their love with others, they created five of their own little libraries —  giving one to their daughter, one to Fred Sotcher’s sister, selling two to charity and keeping the last for themselves. 

“You read a book once, and you rarely want to read the book again,” Fred said. “It seems a shame. This is a way of sharing books.”

Their library is made out of wood, with a domed roof and a sign on the front that reads “Take a book, Leave a book.” A popular destination, the library stays packed throughout the year, and Marion and Fred often have to rotate books — taking older books out and replacing them with newer ones.

“Many people want to share their books,” Fred said. “I think it’s a good program and a good way to share. There’s quite a few little libraries, in all different sizes and shapes.”

Marion and Fred’s enthusiasm inspired their daughter, who started a little children’s library near her own apartment. However, there is another little library even closer to home in the Lynbrook Library. Amy Ashworth — the library media teacher at Lynbrook — came across the idea when she and a fellow librarian decided to promote their respective libraries and the idea of recycling books at the district-wide Earth Day fair. 

“Each book is, in itself, its own little universe, and you can visit it,” Ashworth said. “It’s so cool, right? I can’t throw these books away, and we have these little libraries all over the place. Why not just make my own?”

Ashworth decided to create a little library for her table. An avid crafter, she used a cardboard box to make a structure resembling a small house. It was a grand attraction at the Earth Day fair, drawing both interested students and parents.

“When people walked by — families, little kids, students — they all got really excited when they saw the free little library,” Ashworth said. “Because instead of handing out unnecessary swag, like pens or cheap stuff that may or may not work, we’re handing out books. We had a lot of people take books that day.”

Now, the little library is situated at Lynbrook. Library media specialist Susan Lucas has seen the amazing effects of the library herself. 

“We had a student who was looking for a copy of ‘The Scarlet Letter’ because her class was reading it,” Lucas said. “There was a copy in there. It was well-loved and well-used, but she was able to take it, so it came in handy.”

These three libraries have a profound impact on the San José community, allowing everyone to experience the beauty of reading. Whether you’re looking for a hidden gem or seeking a new favorite book, little libraries are well worth a visit. 

“I hope that, in the future, students will donate books that they no longer need so that they can be passed on and loved again by somebody else,” Lucas said.

This story was originally published on The Epic on November 4, 2024.