Mar 11, 2025 - Things to Do

World's 200,000th Little Free Library opens in St. Paul

Audrey Kennedy

A small red box designed like a one-room schoolhouse that is filled with books. — The celebratory box is a replica of the very first Little Free Library. Photos: Audrey Kennedy/Axios

Dozens of St. Paul's most well-read elementary schoolers gathered Tuesday for a ribbon cutting marking the world's 200,000th Little Free Library.

Driving the news: The St. Paul-based nonprofit behind the miniature book-sharing boxes celebrated the milestone at Rondo's Benjamin E Mays School.

They picked that location in part because its students have checked out more school library books than any other school in the St. Paul school district, staff said at the unveiling.

How it works: People interested in joining the "take a book, leave a book" movement can build or buy a box to house their donated items and register it online to receive an official plaque.

Zoom in: This newest library, which is located in the school's atrium, is designed to look like a one-room schoolhouse.

It's a replica of the very first Little Free Library, which was built in 2009, Little Free Library Executive Director M. Greig Metzger told Axios.

Go deeper: See more from of the unveiling on our Axios Twin Cities Instagram.

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World's 200,000th Little Free Library opens in St. Paul

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