Are you looking for a new, free read? There may be a resource in your neighborhood that’s closer than you think. Little Free Libraries can be found all around our community + we’re sharing the locations of these little gems.
Backstory: The concept of Little Free Library began in 2009, when Todd H. Bol of Hudson, WI built a small-scale, hollow replica of a schoolhouse, filled it with books and placed it on his front lawn as a tribute to his mother. (She was a teacher and loved to read.)
After building one for nearly every jealous neighbor in his Wisconsin community, he teamed up with UW-Madison’s Rick Brooks to turn the concept into a nonprofit organization with a mission to increase book access + forge community connections, now called Little Free Libraries.
There are now 100,000+ Little Free Libraries in 85+ countries worldwide.
These libraries are exactly what they sound like – little book nooks located in people’s yards and at local businesses + parks, full of free books of all genres and for all ages. The libraries function on the honor system: when you take a book, you leave a book.
If you want to start your own “LFL,” you can make one yourself or order a kit online – just make sure to register your location. If you know of an area that is in need of an LFL, but the initial cost of set-up is a barrier, read about the Impact Program Library, which allows underserved communities to have a Little Free Library placed in their neighborhood for free.
Looking to read a new title? Check out the Little Free Libraries in our area.
Downtown Columbia
📚 Church of the Apostles | 1520 Bull St.
📚 C. S. Lewis Student Center | 1720 College St.
📚 The Lourie Center | 1650 Park Cir. | A large bookshelf inside the Lourie Center.
📚 University Hill | 15 Gibbes Ct.
Forest Acres/Heathwood/Melrose Heights
📚 Beltline | 930 Beltline Blvd.
📚 Citadel Park | 4941 Citadel Ave. | Sponsored by the Hewitt Foundation in memory of Parker and Haley Hewitt.
📚 Forest Acres | 4800 block Trenholm Rd.
📚 Forest Acres | 1210 Brentwood Dr.
📚 Forest Acres | 1520 Detreville Ave.
📚 Forest Acres | 3620 Verner St.
📚 Heathwood | 4117 Cassina Rd.
📚 Heathwood | 3801 Linwood Rd. | Started by a local pre-teen and her mother + updated by the Woke Women who Wine book club and Reading Divas middle readers books.
📚 Heathwood | Off Sequoia Rd.
📚 Heathwood Park | 800 Abeila Rd. | An Eagle Scout project by Henry Hardin, Troop 100.
📚 Melrose Heights | 1213 Shirley St.
📚 Melrose Heights | 1205 Woodrow St.
📚 Melrose Heights | 1325 Fairview Dr.
Garners Ferry
📚 Behind VA | 315 Black Friars Rd.
📚 Hampton Trace | 22 Hampton Trace Ct.
📚 Meadowfield | 1017 Wordsworth Dr.
📚 Woodland Park | 6500 Olde Knight Pkwy. | In memory of Sej Harman.
Lexington/Irmo/Chapin
📚 Ballentine Chick-fil-A | 1007 Dutch Fork Rd., Irmo | Sponsored by the Hewitt Foundation in memory of Parker and Haley Hewitt.
📚 Chapin | 106 Merowey Ct., Chapin
📚 Chapin Pharmacy | 138 Amicks Ferry Rd., Chapin
📚 Crooked Creek Park | 1098 Old Lexington Hwy., Chapin | Sponsored by the Hewitt Foundation in memory of Parker and Haley Hewitt.
📚 Garden Arbor | Garden Arbor Ct., Lexington
📚 Harbison | 500 Valmire Dr.
📚 H. E. Corley Elementary School | 1500 Chadford Rd., Irmo | Sponsored by the Hewitt Foundation in memory of Parker and Haley Hewitt.
📚 Irmo Community Park | 7505 Eastview Dr., Irmo | Provided by School of the Minds Homeschool Coop.
📚 Irmo Elementary | 7401 Gibbs St., Irmo | Sponsored by the Hewitt Foundation in memory of Parker and Haley Hewitt.
📚 Lake Murray Elementary | 1531 Three Dog Rd., Chapin | Sponsored by the Hewitt Foundation in memory of Parker and Haley Hewitt.
📚 Leaphart Elementary School | 120 Piney Grove Rd.
📚 Leeza’s Care Connection | 201 St. Andrews Rd. | Built by American Heritage Girls Troop SC8611.
📚 New Providence Elementary School | 1118 Old Cherokee Rd., Lexington
📚 Old Mill | 711 East Main St., Lexington | Upper level of Old Mill.
📚 Rocky Creek Elementary School | 430 Calks Ferry Rd., Lexington
📚 Timberlake | 101 Timberlake Dr., Chapin
📚 White Knoll Elementary | 132 White Knoll Way, Lexington | From the librarians at White Knoll Elementary.
📚 Willie B Caractor Park | 804 Hendrix St., Lexington | Sponsored by the Hewitt Foundation in memory of Parker and Haley Hewitt.
📚 Wingard’s Market | 1403 N. Lake Dr., Lexington
NOMA/Earlewood/Eau Claire
📚 Ascension Lutheran Church | 829 Wildwood Ave.
📚 Broad River | 118 Normandy Rd.
📚 Earlewood | Avondale and Abingdon St. | In remembrance of a friend who battled breast cancer.
📚 Hyatt Park/Keenan Terrace Pollinator Garden | 941 Jackson Ave. | Established by the Hyatt Park/Keenan Terrace Neighborhood Association.
📚 Keenan Terrace/Hyatt Park | 204 Summerlea Dr.
📚 NOMA | 2218 Clark St.
Northeast Columbia
📚 Lake Carolina | 212 Eascott Pl. | Sponsored by the Spring Valley Rotary Club.
📚 North Springs | 709 East Springs Rd. | Run by Grandma Jennie, a retired librarian who received the LFL as a Christmas gift in 2015.
📚 Rehoboth UMC | 6911 Two Notch Rd.
📚 Sandlapper | 1001 Longtown Rd. E, Blythewood
📚 Spring Valley | 9301 Two Notch Rd. | Sponsored by the Spring Valley Rotary Club.
Shandon/Rosewood
📚 Rosewood | 622 Deerwood St.
📚 Rosewood | 805 Howard St.
📚 Shandon | 2700 block Blossom St.
📚 Shandon | 2827 Wilmot Ave.
📚 Shandon | 3300 block Wilmot Ave.
📚 Shandon | 3608 Wheat St.
📚 Shandon | 505 Kalmia Dr.
📚 Shandon | 3100 block Heyward St.
📚 Shandon | Corner of Heyward + Bonham Rd.
West Columbia/Cayce
📚 All Saints Episcopal Church | 1001 12th St., Cayce
📚 Cafe Strudel | 300 State St., West Columbia | Eagle project of Nathan Ulmer, Troop 331.
📚 Cayce | 1110 Naples Ave., Cayce
📚 Cayce Memorial Park | 1605 State St., Cayce | Provided by the Youth Society Foundation + Heathwood Hall volunteers.
📚 Douglas Reeves Community Park | 761 Augusta St., West Columbia | Established by the teens of Cayce-West Columbia Library.
📚 East Point Academy | 1043 Chris Dr., West Columbia | Donated by Vestra Lingua LLC and board member Lisa Cole.
📚 Felton C. Benton Park | 2915 Platt Springs Rd., West Columbia | Provided by the Springdale Police Department.
📚 Grace Chapel Church | 663 Dixiana Rd., West Columbia
📚 Granby Gardens Park | 1800 12th St., Cayce
📚 Mt. Hermon Lutheran Church | 3011 Leaphart Rd., West Columbia
📚 Pine Grove Playground | 665 Old Barnwell Rd., West Columbia |
📚 West Columbia | C Ave. + 11th St., West Columbia | Eagle project of Nathan Ulmer, Troop 331.
📚 West Columbia | 929 Riverview Dr., West Columbia
📚 West Columbia | 1109 Gunter Cir., West Columbia
📚 West Columbia | 1544 Sewanee Dr., West Columbia
📚 West Columbia | 2837 Franklin St., West Columbia
Don’t see your favorite Cola LFL on our list? Send us its location to add it to the list.
