Little Free Libraries

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In 2018, United Way partnered with Brown Industries to design and manufacture 27 new Little Free Libraries in Dalton, Whitfield, and Murray. The existing Little Free Libraries were in need of replacement due to being weather-worn. Brown Industries saw the need for a Little Free Library that could withstand the elements. The new design and materials allow for better airflow inside and still stand up to the wind, rain, and snow. These "take a book, leave a book" structures are just big enough to hold 20-30 books, creating access to reading material across the community.

One of the unique concepts is that no one can steal the books because the books are "free"--freely given by neighbors from their own collections, used bookstores, authors, and others who love the sense of community that the Little Libraries create. The idea is to promote literacy and community-building by supporting book exchanges.

The purpose of these libraries is to provide a place where all readers in the community can share books throughout the year. Participants can leave books to share with others in the box and take a book they would like to read. Volunteers will check boxes to make sure there are always books available.

The United Way collection of Little Free Libraries will be pinned to the national map, littlefreelibraries.org, by GPS coordinates. United Way’s website, ourunitedway.org, will also pin each site to a map.