The first Little Free Library was built in 2009 by the late Todd Bol in Hudson, Wisconsin.
Bol mounted a wooden container, designed to look like a one-room schoolhouse, on a post on his lawn and filled it with books as a tribute to his late mother, a book lover and school teacher who had recently died.
Bol shared his idea with his partner, Rick Brooks, and together they built and installed more of the bookhouses in different areas of the Midwestern United States.
After a while, the idea started to spread.

Little Free Library officially incorporated as a nonprofit organization on May 16, 2012, and the Internal Revenue Service recognized Little Free Library as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization later that year.

Bol's original goal was the creation of 2,510 Little Libraries.
This would surpass the number of libraries founded by Andrew Carnegie, in a program where library buildings were constructed and endowed in cities across the United States.
That goal was met in 2012.

The movement also was adopted internationally.
By November 2016, there were 50,000 registered Little Free Libraries in 85 countries worldwide.
Margret Aldrich wrote The Little Free Library Book to chronicle the movement.

As of August 2019 the number of Little Free Libraries has increased to more than 90,000 such bookhouses in 91 countries around the world.

Bol died from pancreatic cancer in October 2018.
M. Greig Metzger II joined the organization as executive director in July 2019.
The first Little Free Library was built in 2009 by the late Todd Bol in Hudson, Wisconsin. Bol mounted a wooden container, designed to look like a one-room schoolhouse, on a post on his lawn and filled it with books as a tribute to his late mother, a book lover and school teacher who had recently died. Bol shared his idea with his partner, Rick Brooks, and together they built and installed more of the bookhouses in different areas of the Midwestern United States. After a while, the idea started to spread.
Little Free Library officially incorporated as a nonprofit organization on May 16, 2012, and the Internal Revenue Service recognized Little Free Library as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization later that year.
Bol's original goal was the creation of 2,510 Little Libraries. This would surpass the number of libraries founded by Andrew Carnegie, in a program where library buildings were constructed and endowed in cities across the United States. That goal was met in 2012. 
The movement also was adopted internationally. By November 2016, there were 50,000 registered Little Free Libraries in 85 countries worldwide. Margret Aldrich wrote The Little Free Library Book to chronicle the movement.
As of August 2019 the number of Little Free Libraries has increased to more than 90,000 such bookhouses in 91 countries around the world.
Bol died from pancreatic cancer in October 2018. M. Greig Metzger II joined the organization as executive director in July 2019.
Little Free Library