Little Free Libraries Are Popping Up In Kansas City Neighborhoods Throughout The Metro

Little Free Library in Lee's Summit

Little Free Libraries don't require a card, their books have no due date, and you can easily create one of your own.

So what is a Little Free Library?  Basically, it's a unique weather-proof box that you can build or purchase, place in your yard and fill with books for anyone to take, return, keep or swap  for other books.  

Little Free Libraries strive to bring neighborhoods together and promote literacy in a fun and easy way, and it seems to be catching on.  

The Kansas City metro area now has several Little Free Libraries, and I recently checked out the one at 6th and Miller in Lee's Summit.

This particular library turned out to be a triangular-looking red box, decorated with a charming face, and filled mostly with adult books by an eclectic group of authors including Stephen King, Cheryl Strayed, Geraldine Brooks, Debbie Macomber, Nicholas Sparks and Harlan Coben.

What was so much fun was that as I stood there opening the door of the Little Free Library, I felt almost as excited as I do when I visit traditional libraries because I had no idea what I would discover inside.  

In fact, while looking through the approximately 30 books sitting in the library, I felt like I had discovered a miniature literary treasure chest.  It made me think "If this was in my neighborhood, I would use it all the time," and  "What a great way for moms in the area to share children's books with each other."

Little Free Libraries registered in our area include:


15754 Dearborn, Overland Park, KS 
1500 W Elm Terr, Olathe, KS 
601 SE Miller, Lee's Summit, MO
8030 Glenwood, Overland Park, KS
4916 W 78th Place, Prairie Village, KS
4317 W 67th St, Prairie Village, KS 
6509 Holmes, Kansas City, MO
105 SW 15th St., Blue Springs, MO (no photo)
1100 W Main St, Blue Springs, MO
4221 Brookridge Drive, Fairway, KS
625 S Valley St., Kansas City, KS
7019 N Cherry St., Gladstone, MO
3807 NE 72nd Terr, Gladstone, MO
2717 Broadway Terr., Leavenworth, KS


A world-wide non-profit organization, Little Free Library will have between 10,000 and 12,000 registered locations by January 2014 with the movement continuing to grow beyond expectations.

If you would like more information about the group, have an interest in creating or registering a Little Free Library, want to partner with others in  our community to build or promote Little Free Libraries and more, visit littlefreelibrary.org or littlefreelibrarykc for local information.

Click link below to hear Prairie Village woman discuss her Little Free Library:

Creator of Prairie Village Little Free Library Discusses Her Motivation