I had the pleasure of hosting this weekend's Awakin call with Rick Brooks, who was in conversation with expert moderator Aryae! Rick Brooks is a dedicated community builder who has initiated numerous community-based projects and experiments, including co-founding the Little Free Library project, a movement that has spawned 60,000 registered Little Free Libraries in all U.S. states and over 80 countries around the world over the last six years or so. He has also been involved in time-banking efforts in the US, among many other community-based projects.

A few nuggets from our call:

• Rick shared how he met Todd Bol, who had a little box of free books in his yard, and immediately foresaw (with Todd) the power of this simple action to spark neighborliness, generosity and sharing. Rick and Todd went on to establish Free Little Libraries, a movement that has spawned more than 60,000 officially registered free little libraries around the globe (in just over 6 years), and an estimated many more unofficial (unregistered) book exchanges! The idea is simple – anyone anywhere can take a book out and put a book in. There are no logs, no overdue notices, no fines. Just sharing books of value and delight with one another. Millions of books are exchanged each year, profoundly increasing access to books for readers of all ages and backgrounds, and fostering a spirit of gift.

*According to Rick, “Little boxes of our favorite books seem to be able to make a difference. They offer us an excuse to get to know each other by sharing what we love. … Obviously, this is all about something more than just books. … These so called ‘boxes of books’ have stimulated all kinds of practical attempts to nurture each other: Little Free Pantries. Neighborhood Gift and Blessing Boxes, Little Free Art Galleries. Rest stops for daily strolls and bike rides. Seed exchanges. Memorials. Places to remember and honor people we love.”

• At the start of Free Little Libraries, Rick and Todd made and gave away the boxes for book exchange. And they helped initiators of the exchanges to develop a sense of stewardship for each box and to reach out to neighbors effectively. Those who begin free little libraries now build or order their own boxes, as a way of developing a stake in the effort. There are still about 3-10 stories in the media every day around the world about such efforts – from the New York Times to the Times of India, and countless community papers in between.

• Rick’s own journey began in a fairly privileged environment in Wichita, Kansas, where his father was a plastic surgeon. His parents wanted Rick and his sisters to get a wider perspective on humanity and suffering, and so they moved their family to India (initially) and then to a number of countries around the world. Rick’s time in India transformed him, and informed his longstanding commitment to community building.

• Rick also takes much inspiration from the Sarvodya movement in Sri Lanka, which involves community members sharing their labor, in the light of Buddha and Gandhi.

You can learn more about Free Little Libraries, including information about how to start a small book exchange in your area, here. And you can learn more here about local time-banking efforts in the US, through which communities exchange services without any monetary exchange. To understand more about Rick’s inspiration about effective local community building, see here for information about the Sarvodya movement in Sri Lanka, and its leader A.T. Ariyaratne.

We've posted the audio recording of the call, and in the coming week, we will be also be posting a transcript on that same page.