Those little boxes of books on posts across America started as one man's tribute. Todd Bol built the first in 2009, from wood off his old garage door. He shaped it like a tiny schoolhouse, for his mother, June. She was a schoolteacher who tutored neighborhood kids at her dining table. He filled it with books and staked it in his yard. Neighbors wanted their own. There are now over 200,000, in 128 countries. There's probably one on your street.
The Little Free Library Started With One Garage Door
In 2009, a man in Hudson, Wisconsin nailed together some old garage door planks, gave the box a peaked roof like a miniature schoolhouse, and set it on a post in his front yard. He had no plan beyond honoring his mother. Today there are more than 200,000 of his boxes standing in 128 countries, and almost nobody who uses one knows his name.
A Tribute Built From Scrap Wood
His name was Todd Bol. He had grown up dyslexic, and books had not always come easy to him.
His mother, June Bol, was a schoolteacher. Back home, she used to welcome neighborhood kids to the family's dining table for a sandwich or help with their homework.
After she died, Bol wanted to build something in her memory. He had a stack of spare wood from an old garage door and no real plan for it.
He shaped the wood into a model of a one-room schoolhouse, complete with a little steeple and a toy bell. Then he filled it with books and mounted it on a post in his yard in Hudson, Wisconsin.
Neighbors Wanted Their Own
The idea was simple: take a book, leave a book, no card or fee required.
Bol's neighbors noticed the little schoolhouse right away. Several asked him to build one for their own yard too.
He kept building them, one at a time, and started giving away the design so other people could build their own.
Around 2010, he began working with Rick Brooks, a UW-Madison outreach specialist in community development, to help the idea spread further.
A Nonprofit, Then a Movement
By 2012, Little Free Library was a registered nonprofit. More than 4,000 of the boxes were already standing in yards, parks, and sidewalks.
The growth did not slow down. By 2018, there were more than 75,000 Little Free Libraries in dozens of countries.
Bol died that October, at age 62, after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He did not get to see how much further the idea would travel.
It kept growing without him. There were 100,000 libraries by 2020, and 150,000 across 120 countries by 2022.
What's Standing on Your Street Now
As of 2025, Little Free Library counts more than 200,000 registered boxes in 128 countries, according to the organization's own history page.
Every one of them still follows the shape Bol landed on almost by accident: a small box on a post, filled with books, free for anyone to take.
Bol once described himself as "a kid with dyslexia who grew up with a dream of bringing books to every block and every person in this world." Sixteen years after his mother's tribute went up on a post in Hudson, that block-by-block spread is still going.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who invented the Little Free Library?
How many Little Free Libraries are there?
What was the first Little Free Library made from?
When did Little Free Library become a nonprofit?
Is Todd Bol still involved with Little Free Library?
Verified Fact
Verified Aug 16, 2026 · 6 sources checked
Source: Little Free Library (official history)Show verification details
Claims checked
- First Little Free Library built in 2009 by Todd Bol
- Built from garage-door wood, shaped like a schoolhouse for his mother, June
- His mother tutored kids at the family dining table (not kitchen table)
- Over 200,000 libraries in 128 countries today
- Todd Bol died in October 2018 at age 62
Sources: Little Free Library, Wikipedia, Washington Post, Wisconsin Public Radio, Bradshaw Funeral Home, HowStuffWorks
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