\u201cI basically have to fully restock it every week,\u201d she said, smiling.<\/p>\n
Registered under the nonprofit of the same name, it\u2019s just one of over 200,000 Little Free Libraries<\/a> across 128 countries, which have shared over 400 million books. Hundreds of these libraries are scattered across the Tampa Bay area<\/a>.<\/p>\n Vickers has a deep love for reading. She started last year with the goal of reading 12 books in 12 months, but after finding out she was a fast reader, the new goal became 200.<\/p>\n After running out of room to keep all the books she had read, Vickers said, she decided to make a Little Free Library to pass them on. She hopes to make other people excited to come across them and find a good book, just like the times she visited Little Free Libraries with her three-year-old daughter.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re like happy accidents when you find them,\u201d Vickers said.<\/p>\n While she stops by her Puryear Park Little Free Library once a week to restock, Vickers has two more in her front yard that she can check on more frequently.<\/p>\n Two little free libraries Maria Vickers set up in the front yard of her St. Petersburg home. The Scooby Doo themed “Mystery Machine” is filled with thrillers, and the upcycled mini-fridge is full of other types of books.<\/p>\n Her first little library is painted teal and a lime green, with the Scooby Doo \u201cMystery Machine\u201d logo painted on the side. Inside are a variety of thrillers \u2014 Vicker\u2019s favorite genre \u2014 filled with tomes from authors like bestsellers Colleen Hoover and Ruth Ware.<\/p>\n A wrapped-up book labeled \u201cBlind Date With a Book\u201d lies on top of the others. Vickers said it\u2019s a way \u201cto get people to give a chance to a book\u201d by lesser-known authors that people might not pick up based on the title.<\/p>\n In the corner is a pouch filled with bookmarks. Next to it, a card explains how the library works: take books, share books \u2014 and each one is always free.<\/p>\n Next to \u201cThe Mystery Machine\u201d is a non-working mini-fridge covered in license plates from around the country, sitting on top of a pallet. The whole set-up cost about $3, Vickers said proudly.<\/p>\n It\u2019s \u201cby far the most durable out of the libraries that I have,\u201d she said, and it\u2019s great at keeping out the rain. Inside are all the non-thriller books, from Julia Quinn\u2019s \u201cBridgerton\u201d to Ransom Riggs’ \u201cMiss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.\u201d A jar of dog treats sits on the shelf, which has incentivized a neighborhood pet to drag its owner over to the library before, Vickers chuckled.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople get involved. They just love them. It just warms my heart to see people stopping at them when they\u2019re walking by.\u201d<\/p>\n Lisa Kothe<\/p>\n Along with supplying books to the one Little Free Library in Puryear Park and another by a local bus stop, Vickers said these tiny shelves have distributed almost 1,400 books since she started stocking them in March 2025.<\/p>\n Compared to regular libraries, the concept of these community-run libraries are \u201cso wildly different,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like ‘library’ implies that you\u2019re supposed to return the book,\u201d Vickers said. \u201cBut I mean, not really with this one. You can just take it and go.\u201d<\/p>\n Access to books in a state with increasing challenges\u00a0<\/p>\n Last year, Florida ranked first in the country for book removals and restrictions<\/a> in public schools for the third year in a row, according to the national free expression group PEN America. Thousands<\/a> of books have been removed or restricted in recent years.<\/p>\n Reading gives children the opportunity to explore perspectives beyond what they\u2019re used to, said Stephana Ferrell, the co-leader of the Florida Freedom to Read Project<\/a>. Reading for fun can also help young people learn the concepts behind literacy comprehension, critical thinking and problem solving, she added.<\/p>\n Classroom libraries have shrunk their collections because of laws passed by the Florida Legislature in recent years, she said. They lost access to diverse books that reflected different communities, Ferrell added, \u201cbooks that can connect with children.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEvery child deserves an opportunity to see their lives reflected on the shelves, to be affirmed in their reading,\u201d Ferrell said, \u201cAnd to feel as if \u2018this is a place for me to find comfort, to find support, and to keep on seeking out that love of reading.’\u201d<\/p>\n While a Little Free Library\u2019s collection of materials is based on the community using it, Ferrell said, it can benefit people by increasing book access and encouraging voluntary reading.<\/p>\n And if Florida voters pass Constitutional Amendment 3 on property taxes this November, Ferrell said budgets for public libraries may face funding cuts. <\/p>\n Little Free Libraries, which run off book donations, are a way to continue providing access to books that communities might lose due to budget or policy constraints, she added. Ferrell said she hopes they “are more of a band-aid in this moment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c(I hope) we don\u2019t give up the fight to make sure that our libraries are there, our public libraries stay open and the collections (are) robust,\u201d she said. \u201cThat our school libraries are supported and are able to provide those resources to students.\u201d<\/p>\n Maria Vickers keeps bookmarks and a “Blind Date With a Book” in the “Mystery Machine” Little Free Library.<\/p>\n Little Free Libraries offer a few things regular libraries can\u2019t, Vickers said. <\/p>\n You need to be a resident to have a library card to check out books, she said \u2014 so if you\u2019re visiting another area or are undocumented, you can\u2019t take out books. <\/p>\n Traditional library hours also might not work for everyone\u2019s schedules, Vickers said, and returning books on time can be a struggle for some people, which results in fines.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle Free Libraries just give a lot of solutions to problems that maybe most people don\u2019t face,\u201d Vickers said, \u201cBut for the people that do face those problems, it is really helpful to have that option.\u201d<\/p>\n The stewards behind the books<\/p>\n In downtown Safety Harbor, a Little Free Library styled to look like a quaint pink house resides next to John Wilson Park. 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