Abstract
Through a mixed-method research design, this study explores the Little Free Library (LFL) phenomenon from the perspective of the library’s owner, or “steward.” Specifically, the research interrogates the role LFLs play on a personal level at the intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic and the structural inequities exposed by the pandemic. The purpose of this investigation is to provide a foundational study for furthering the examination of how altruism, creativity, and cultural norms of “self-help” manifest themselves through materiality in our communities, influencing our relationships with one and another, both during times of crisis and normalcy. The effects of the pandemic and inextricably related social justice issues – of which the murder of George Floyd heightened the public’s awareness – have created conditions of psychological suffering. Through altruism and creativity, this study explores LFLs’ potential as a tool to alleviate some of the distress experienced by the library’s owner and provide them a sense of meaning-making.
