Over the last few years, there’s been a quiet phenomenon gaining momentum around the globe. Across Europe, the US and now Australia, tiny little libraries have been popping up on suburban streets, in regional areas, and in parks and playgrounds, to encourage literacy and a love of books in areas without traditional libraries. This week’s viral ABC News video profiling the growing trend in Australia, had us wondering – has South Australia been involved with this and we just didn’t know about it? Turns out it has. There’s well over a dozen little libraries across Adelaide and the State, bringing both kids and adult books to the community – with a simple concept. Take a book and enjoy it. If you have a book to leave – please do so. Spread the love and support your community. And it works.
So here’s the list of South Australia’s street libraries (the ones we can find) from A to Z.
Adelaide Farmers Market ‘Sienna’s Little Free Library’
The ‘Little Free Library’ at the Showground Farmers’ Market celebrates the love of books and operate on a “Take a book, Return a book” structure with set ups that are just big enough to hold 20-30 books that kids and adults can give and take. The Little Free Library is operated by market member Jewel Smith in honour of her daughter Sienna. Market Members are encouraged to borrow and donate books along the theme of the farmers’ market ie gardening, vegetables, cooking, flowers, herbs, baking etc. Please use one of the stickers provided at the library to put inside the cover of the book when you make a donation.
Bowden
Gibson Street Book Exchange
Bowden is offering up a converted receptacle stocked with pre-loved books donated by the local community. One of the larger ‘little’ libraries around, this one is perfect to grab some reading material before you head to Plant 4 for your coffee and breakfast.
Bowden
Campbelltown
Lochiel Parkway
This Little Free Library has been filled with lots of kids books, fiction and non-fiction and even a few recipe books. It was the first Little Free Library in South Australia and is located in Lochiel Park in the suburb of Campbelltown. They have a wonderful community which has a very active book club. Resident Bruce Rossini built the Little Free Library in the same design as the surrounding houses.
Campbelltown
Cape Jervis
Cape Jervis
Main South Road
This cute little library is located outside of the general store at Cape Jervis which is right before the ferry to Kangaroo Island. There are now 4 in the Yankalilla district. It was made by one of the Normanville Natural Resource Centre volunteers and is looked after by a volunteer who lives nearby.
Coromandel Valley
442B Main Road
There’s a little library located at the Coromandel Community Centre, Weymouth Oval near the public art.
Flinders Park Kids Little Library
Cnr Grenville Avenue and Grant Place
This funky little mushroom shaped kids library at Grant Place Reserve playground works well with their “Reading Spots,” giving kids a fun place to read in an awesome playground!
Flinders Park
Gawler South
70 Hill Street
This library is made from a television cabinet that the community sourced from Salvage and Save, which is a local workable solutions initiative. Turning it into two little libraries was then a neighbourhood effort. One library is for children, and the other is for adults.
Gawler
Glandore
Glandore Community Centre
Dad’s little library is situated in the lovely Glandore Community Centre. It has a fantastic selection of books and is regularly changing. The creator says “A few years back the my dad cut out an article about a little library and put it on his fridge…He thought it was a really cool idea but didn’t think much more about it. In October 2014 he died suddenly and my world changed forever. Later, I found the article still sitting on my fridge and decided to have a little library made in his memory.”
Dad’s Little Library, Glandore
Fairview Park
There seems to be one near Fairview Park Primary School. An exact address isn’t listed. If you have more info on this one – let us know!
Flagstaff Hill
Ridgeway Drive
Our street is a popular street to walk along and pick up a good book and to share your old books.
Inman Valley
1714 Inman Valley Road
This free little library was made by a volunteer and is called “Ots Cottage”. It’s located outside the Inman Valley General Store. This cute Street Library is packed with books, magazines and the occasional DVD made by a local volunteer.
Inman Valley
Normanville
54 Main Street
Normanville Natural Resource Centre has ‘Storm Boys Cottage’ made by a local volunteer out of recycled items. It has fiction, non-fiction, kids books, and lots of interesting magazines. The Normanville Natural Resource Centre is a not for profit organisation that promotes natural resource management. One of their services is to offer a one stop recycling centre, which includes books and magazines. What better way to recycle books than through a Street Library!
Normanville
North Adelaide
61/63 LeFevre Tce (Glover Playground/Helicopter Park)
A little free library, in a little park, for little people
http://www.facebook.com/helicopterlibrary
Norwood
Margaret Ives Children’s Centre ‘Sienna’s Little Free Library’, 19 Edward Street – Donated by Jewels Smith
This Little Free Library is in loving memory of Jewels Smith’s beautiful daughter Sienna. It is based at the kindergarten and childcare centre where Sienna started her learning life. The books at Margaret Ives Little Free Library are from Sienna’s collection. Sienna died 2 months shy of her 12th Birthday after a lifelong degenerative condition, however Sienna loved reading books, stories & sharing in community.
Jewels Smith at Margaret Ives Little Library
Piccadilly
Piccadilly Surgery ‘Sienna’s Little Free Library’, 169 Piccadilly Road
This little free library is another one donated from Jewels Smith in memory of her daughter Sienna. This is based at the doctors surgery where they spent many days due to Sienna’s degenerative health condition. The doctors surgery is in a restored 1900 school building & as Sienna also loved learning it was a perfect place for this little free library to live. It has books in it that Sienna loved reading, plus others for all ranges of children, mums, dads & grandparents. This is the first Little Free Library for Piccadilly, and this library will share the love of reading books in this community. Dr Mark Crawford knew Sienna since her birth and supports Sienna’s Little Free Library.
Jewels Smith at the Piccadilly Little Library
Port Adelaide
Mundy Street
This library is called Hart’s Mill Little Free Library. It has been built out of steel by a local artist to fit in with the heritage surroundings of Hart’s Mill Port Adelaide. The library is placed in a vibrant community area, which has a weekly market, a loop path, a café and a playground. It has a shelf for children’s books and a shelf for adult’s books. https://facebook.com/hartsmilllittlefreelibrary/
Hart’s Mill Little Library, Port Adelaide
Second Valley
Finniss Vale Drive
The Normanville Natural Resource Centre received funding from the Yankalilla Community Library to create 4 free little libraries for the local area. This cute one has been installed at the local store near the caravan park at Second Valley and is proving very popular with locals and tourists alike.
Second Valley Little Library
Find out more info about creating your own street library, or find one near you via these two helpful websites:
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