In making this project, I do not propose that free little libraries should be a solution to formal libraries. Libraries are valuable community hubs, and librarians curate and share important information. Libraries often connect people to health information, technological access, school support, language lessons, and other vital services. A free little library cannot replicate this significance. 

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My interest in free little libraries comes from my larger fascination with how people choose to share books with one another in a more informal space, when there is not a librarian to curate those offerings. This project explores those grassroots connections by demonstrating how books, themselves, build community as they pass from person to person. 

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Additionally, one issue that arises with a free little library is just that; it's community-regulated. Personally, I have visited several lending libraries and have seen homophobic or racist books on the shelves. When these donors are anonymous, some may share information that is not factual or that is harmful.

 

As I made this library, I tried to consider the fact that many books in the public domain, even classics like Uncle Tom's Cabin and Huckleberry Finn, contain racist and hurtful language. In these situations, serendipity may cause harm when a person is unexpectedly exposed to materials that may trigger them. I included a content warning at the top of the library page to raise a reader's awareness. However, I will continue to research other options to help protect readers.

 

One option for the future may be to provide a pop-up warning when a reader clicks a text that contains hateful content. This pop-up may say something like, "The book you are about to read references slavery and contains the "n" word. Do you wish to proceed?" With the resources I currently have, I do not have the design capacity to add these individual warnings to certain books. Nonetheless, I will consider this idea for future iterations of this project.