張曉敏

When Todd Bol placed a homemade wooden box on a pole in his front yard in Hudson， Wisconsin， in 2009， he had no idea it would launch a movement.

Decorated to resemble a one-room schoolhouse， it contained a dozen or more books free for the taking. The box was a tribute1） to Bol's mother， a former teacher and book lover who had died several years earlier.

The small library literally stopped traffic. "Everyone loved it！ They stopped to look at it and said， 'This is so cute； this is such a neat2） idea，' " recalls Rick Brooks， a friend of Bol's.

Brooks knew the feeling. He loved the library the moment he heard about it. An instructor specializing in youth and community development at the UW-Madison Division of Continuing Studies， Brooks recognized the potential of the little house of books to promote literacy3） and to build community. He had previously raised funds for village libraries in Sri Lanka and several other countries. Given his enthusiasm about neighborhood projects both professional and personal， Brooks jumped at the chance to put his passion into action.

"I'm always looking for manageable projects that connect people on a personal level to where they live，" says Brooks. "What's better than books？"

Bol and Brooks joined forces to build several more of the eye-catching boxes. Calling their project the Little Free Library， they placed their first one beside a bike path behind Absolutely Art Gallery and Café Zoma on Madison's east side. The spot proved ideal for spreading the word.

"Thousands of people saw it as they passed by，" says Brooks.

People not only saw it. They wanted one of their own.

With a roof and windows and doors， Little Free Libraries look like dollhouses for books. The concept is simple： take a book， leave a book. There are no due dates4）， late fees， or library cards required， and the doors are open every day of the week， twenty-four hours a day.

While some coffee shops and stores have offered book-exchange shelves for years， there's something about the books inside a creative and self-contained5） box that inspires a completely different feeling of devotion among users.

"People support what they help to create，" says Brooks. "People have to want a library—and as soon as it comes and people bring their books， it's theirs and they love it."

At a time when digital technology is changing the way people find and consume words， it's surprising how many people have fallen in love with such a low-tech， old-fashioned system of book circulation. As proof， you need only look at how quickly and in how many places these Little Free Libraries have found homes.6）

Lisa Lopez's two Little Free Libraries at Zavala Elementary School in El Paso， Texas， have been a hit7）. One sits outside on a post in the playground， while the other travels from classroom to classroom each month. "It's like a prize for them to get the library in their classroom， so the kids are really enthusiastic and excited，" she says. "[It's] been a blessing， to say the least8）."

The boxes are always full， and Lopez has been gratified to see kids bringing and sharing favorites such as the ever-popular Harry Potter books， rather than just the volumes they don't like.

Many people prefer to design and build their own book depots9）， though. Some look like barns， houses， a classic red London phone booth10）， and even a canoe. They are made from cranberry crates11）， old newsstand12） boxes， and microwaves. In short， there are no rules. Anything goes， as long as it holds books. The variety of styles is a big part of the project's appeal and makes the libraries local tourist attractions.

What's inside the libraries is a persistent question. Some specialize in children's books or subjects such as gardening. Most are free-form13）， though， attracting an eclectic14） mix of titles15） that can change completely from day to day. "Take a book； return a book" may be the program's motto， but users should be advised to take their selections when they can， because their choice of books may not be there tomorrow.

The libraries are mapped on Google so users can find them easily. Some owners have set up Facebook pages and blogs to promote their little libraries and to connect to other "librarians16）". The bond of library ownership is so great that some of them even plan their vacations so that they can visit all the other Little Free Libraries en route17） to their destinations.

The strong sense of connection that has formed around the charming structures has both surprised and delighted Brooks.

"We suspected—and hoped—that community would form in caring for these libraries， but we had no idea that the visual and emotional appeal of a little box of books would be as strong as it is，" explains Brooks. "It's what you hope for， but can never predict."

The idea of books in a box isn't new. More than a century ago， Wisconsin's Lutie Stearns18） took thousands of volumes to isolated Wisconsin communities. Although many cities had libraries by the end of the 19th century， most farm families had little， if any， access to books. To solve the problem， the Wisconsin Free Library Commission， led by Stearns， decided to take the written word to rural areas. By the time Stearns left the commission in 1914， she'd established 1，400 traveling libraries—actually just boxes of reading matter—that she often delivered herself， traveling first by horse and buggy19）， and later by automobile.

Brooks calls Stearns his hero， and a portion of the Little Free Library website is dedicated20） to her story. Stearns's mission to take books to underserved21） areas has remained a remarkably potent22） factor in the spread of Little Free Libraries. Brooks has been gratified， if a little overwhelmed， by the response to this simple concept.

2009年，當(dāng)托德·博爾把一個(gè)自制的木箱放在位于威斯康星州哈得孫市自家前院的一根柱子上時(shí)，他沒(méi)有料到這個(gè)箱子將會(huì)引發(fā)一場(chǎng)運(yùn)動(dòng)。

這個(gè)箱子裝飾得像一個(gè)單間校舍一樣，里面放著十來(lái)本或者更多的書(shū)供人免費(fèi)取閱。博爾制作這個(gè)箱子是為了悼念幾年前去世的母親，她生前是一位熱愛(ài)讀書(shū)的教師。

這個(gè)小小的書(shū)屋真的讓過(guò)往的車(chē)輛和行人都停下了腳步?！按蠹叶己芟矚g它！他們停下來(lái)打量它，說(shuō)：‘這個(gè)箱子好可愛(ài)；這主意太妙了?！辈柕呐笥牙锟恕げ剪斂怂够貞浀?。

布魯克斯知道那是怎樣一種感覺(jué)，他一聽(tīng)說(shuō)這個(gè)小書(shū)屋就十分喜歡它。布魯克斯就職于威斯康星大學(xué)麥迪遜分校繼續(xù)教育部，是專(zhuān)門(mén)研究青少年及社區(qū)發(fā)展的一名講師，他意識(shí)到了這個(gè)小小的書(shū)屋在提高居民文化水平及構(gòu)建社區(qū)方面的潛力。他以前就曾為斯里蘭卡和其他一些國(guó)家的鄉(xiāng)村圖書(shū)館籌集過(guò)資金。鑒于自己無(wú)論是從專(zhuān)業(yè)還是個(gè)人層面對(duì)社區(qū)項(xiàng)目的熱忱，布魯克斯迫不及待地抓住了這個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)，好把自己的熱情付諸行動(dòng)。

“我一直在找讓人們?cè)趥€(gè)人層面上與其居住地連接起來(lái)的那種易于管理的項(xiàng)目，”布魯克斯說(shuō)，“還有什么能比書(shū)更合適呢？”

博爾和布魯克斯合力又建造了幾個(gè)這種引人注目的箱子。他們?yōu)檫@一項(xiàng)目取名為“免費(fèi)小書(shū)屋”，把第一個(gè)小書(shū)屋安置在了位于麥迪遜市東邊的絕對(duì)畫(huà)廊和佐馬咖啡館后面的自行車(chē)道旁。事實(shí)證明，這個(gè)地點(diǎn)非常適合書(shū)屋的推廣。

“成千上萬(wàn)的人路過(guò)時(shí)都看到了它?！辈剪斂怂拐f(shuō)。

人們不光看到了，他們還想擁有一個(gè)自己的小書(shū)屋。

免費(fèi)小書(shū)屋有屋頂、窗戶(hù)還有門(mén)，看起來(lái)就像是個(gè)為書(shū)打造的玩具小屋。其理念很簡(jiǎn)單：拿走一本，留下一本。這里沒(méi)有應(yīng)還日期、滯納金，也不需要閱覽證，小屋的門(mén)一周七天、一天24小時(shí)都是開(kāi)著的。

雖然一些咖啡店和商店幾年前就已經(jīng)設(shè)置了供人們自由留取書(shū)籍的書(shū)架，但書(shū)放在一個(gè)富有創(chuàng)意、獨(dú)立的箱子里，這樣做卻有幾分不同，會(huì)讓使用者產(chǎn)生一種完全不同的投入感。

“人們支持那些自己參與創(chuàng)造的東西，”布魯克斯說(shuō)，“人們肯定都會(huì)想要一個(gè)書(shū)屋，等書(shū)屋一建好，大家就會(huì)把自己的書(shū)帶來(lái)放進(jìn)去，然后這個(gè)書(shū)屋就成了他們的，讓他們十分喜歡?！?/p>

在這樣一個(gè)數(shù)字技術(shù)正改變?nèi)藗冋視?shū)和買(mǎi)書(shū)方式的時(shí)代，有這么多人都愛(ài)上了這種沒(méi)什么科技含量的、過(guò)時(shí)的書(shū)籍流通方式，真令人感到意外。只需看看這些免費(fèi)小書(shū)屋多么迅速地在多少地方安家落戶(hù)，你就能找到證據(jù)。

莉薩·洛佩斯在得克薩斯州埃爾帕索市扎瓦拉小學(xué)的兩個(gè)免費(fèi)小書(shū)屋就一直非常受歡迎。一個(gè)書(shū)屋安放在操場(chǎng)上的一根柱子上，另一個(gè)則每個(gè)月從一個(gè)教室傳到另一個(gè)教室。“讓書(shū)屋來(lái)自己的教室，這對(duì)孩子們來(lái)說(shuō)就像是一種獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)，所以他們都特別感興趣，非常興奮，”她說(shuō)，“至少可以說(shuō)，（書(shū)屋）是個(gè)給人帶來(lái)幸福的東西。”

書(shū)屋總是滿滿的?？吹胶⒆觽儙?lái)他們最喜歡的書(shū)（比如一直受歡迎的《哈利·波特》系列）分享，而不只是那些他們自己不愛(ài)看的書(shū)，洛佩斯一直感到十分欣慰。

不過(guò)，許多人更喜歡設(shè)計(jì)、建造自己的書(shū)屋。有的造型像谷倉(cāng)、房子、經(jīng)典的倫敦紅色電話亭，甚至還有的像獨(dú)木舟。這些書(shū)屋有用裝蔓越莓的板條箱做的，有用舊的報(bào)刊亭箱做的，還有用微波爐改造而成的?？傊褪菦](méi)什么規(guī)定，只要能把書(shū)放進(jìn)去，用什么都行。風(fēng)格的多種多樣正是這個(gè)項(xiàng)目的一大魅力，也使得小書(shū)屋成了當(dāng)?shù)氐木坝^。

書(shū)屋里放的是什么書(shū)是一個(gè)永恒的問(wèn)題。有些書(shū)屋專(zhuān)門(mén)放童書(shū)，或是某一特定主題（如園藝）的書(shū)。不過(guò)，大部分都是自由發(fā)揮的，吸引了不同種類(lèi)、各式各樣的書(shū)入駐，這些書(shū)每一天可能都完全不一樣。雖然這個(gè)項(xiàng)目的口號(hào)是“拿走一本，歸還一本”，不過(guò)還是建議使用者及時(shí)拿走自己選好的書(shū)，因?yàn)檫@些書(shū)可能明天就不在那里了。

這些書(shū)屋都在谷歌地圖上標(biāo)示出來(lái)了，因此使用者很容易就能找到它們。一些書(shū)屋的主人還在Facebook上創(chuàng)建了主頁(yè)、開(kāi)通了博客來(lái)宣傳自己的書(shū)屋并與其他“書(shū)屋管理員”建立聯(lián)系。書(shū)屋主人對(duì)擁有書(shū)屋有著很深的情結(jié)，以至于他們當(dāng)中的一些人甚至?xí)?guī)劃好自己的假期，好讓自己在去往旅行目的地的途中可以一訪沿途其他所有的免費(fèi)小書(shū)屋。

人們圍繞著這些可愛(ài)的小書(shū)屋形成了如此緊密的聯(lián)系，這讓布魯克斯十分驚喜。

“此前我們猜想（也希望）維護(hù)這些書(shū)屋的過(guò)程會(huì)催生一個(gè)社群，但卻沒(méi)有料到一個(gè)裝書(shū)的小箱子竟然可以有這么強(qiáng)的視覺(jué)和情感吸引力，”布魯克斯解釋說(shuō)，“這是你所希望的，但卻是你永遠(yuǎn)不能預(yù)料的?！?/p>

箱式的書(shū)屋并不是什么新鮮事物。一個(gè)多世紀(jì)以前，威斯康星州的盧蒂·斯特恩斯曾把數(shù)千冊(cè)書(shū)帶到該州較為偏遠(yuǎn)的一個(gè)個(gè)社區(qū)。雖然許多城市在19世紀(jì)末就已經(jīng)有了圖書(shū)館，但大多數(shù)農(nóng)村家庭還是幾乎無(wú)法接觸到書(shū)，即使有也可以忽略不計(jì)。為了解決這個(gè)問(wèn)題，當(dāng)時(shí)斯特恩斯領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下的威斯康星州免費(fèi)圖書(shū)館委員會(huì)決定把書(shū)本帶到鄉(xiāng)村地區(qū)去。到1914年斯特恩斯離開(kāi)該委員會(huì)時(shí)，她已經(jīng)建起了1400個(gè)移動(dòng)書(shū)屋——實(shí)際上就是裝著閱讀材料的一個(gè)個(gè)箱子。她常常會(huì)自己送書(shū)過(guò)去，一開(kāi)始是騎馬和坐馬車(chē)去，后來(lái)就乘汽車(chē)了。

布魯克斯把斯特恩斯稱(chēng)為自己的英雄，免費(fèi)小書(shū)屋的網(wǎng)站有一部分就專(zhuān)門(mén)講述了她的故事。斯特恩斯想把書(shū)送到那些服務(wù)不到位的地區(qū)，這一使命一直是免費(fèi)小書(shū)屋得以傳播開(kāi)來(lái)的強(qiáng)有力因素。人們對(duì)這一簡(jiǎn)單理念的回應(yīng)已經(jīng)讓布魯克斯感到很欣慰，雖然他還有點(diǎn)不知所措。