Librarian Gives New Life to 110-Year-Old Tree Stump By Turning It Into Free Community Library

Why remove a dead tree stump? It has much better uses.

What happens when you are a librarian and you have e a 110-year-old tree stump in front of your house? For Sharalee Armitage Howard, who works at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library in Idaho, the answer was easy. She decided to turn it into a library!

Of course, when the ancient cottonwood tree began to rot and had to be cut down for safety reasons, Sharalee felt rather sorry for it – but then she figured she could transform it into something special for her community. Now, her Little Free Library allows people living nearby to take or leave a book at their leisure.

The librarian, who also previously studied bookbinding, paid attention to even the last detail while spearheading the installation of her beautiful wooden bibliotheca. It is complete with stone steps, a glass door, and warm interior and exterior lighting that provides a welcoming atmosphere. A roof over the top helps prevent the stump from weathering away.

And, if you look closely, the dentils above the door are actually miniature books that recall some great classics like Call of the Wild and The Grapes of Wrath.

Even if you can’t make it to Coeur d’Alene, chances are you have a Little Free Library nearby, as the project has turned into a nonprofit that fosters a love of reading and community by encouraging book exchanges worldwide. Currently, there are more than 150,000+ registered Little Free Libraries in 100+ countries around the world sharing over 70 million books annually.

Each Little Free Library has its own unique character, as you can see on the organization’s Instagram. What’s more, you can find the library closest to your location on their map, and in case you wanted to start your own, you can even find plenty of tips on how to build your own.

Well, that old dead tree stump has really come to life again!

Sources: 1, 2, 3