Little Free Library
Hacker ApprovedBook exchange box
Recommended for free book sharing in neighborhoods, fun finds while traveling, and kids enjoying them. Caveat: some say drug users tamper with the boxes.
Recommended for free book sharing in neighborhoods, fun finds while traveling, and kids enjoying them. Caveat: some say drug users tamper with the boxes.
19 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 15
- criticize it
- 4
- approval share
- 79%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 15 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 3.8 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Free book sharing in community
“Little Free Libraries are a delightful way for us to find new books and put books we love back into the community.”
Comment from 3 Jun 2026 in “Meta workers can opt out of being tracked at work up to 30 min” “where books circulate freely, and if they aren’t returned, hopefully are read and not destroyed”
Comment from 25 Dec 2025 in “Librarians Tired of Being Accused of Hiding Secret Books That Were Made Up by AI” “I like the idea and books aren't something I value holding once I've read them”
Comment from 2 Mar 2026 in “Little Free Library Books” - Comment from 2 Mar 2026 in “Little Free Library Books”
Fun to find while traveling
“This is very cool, they are a common sight in some cities in Germany and I always love checking through them.”
Comment from 2 Mar 2026 in “Little Free Library Books” “thought they were a pretty cool idea when I saw them”
Comment from 26 Dec 2025 in “Librarians Tired of Being Accused of Hiding Secret Books That Were Made Up by AI” “I think this is very cool and a brilliant idea”
Comment from 1 Mar 2026 in “Little Free Library Books” - Comment from 2 Mar 2026 in “Little Free Library Books”
Kids enjoy using them
“it's been a hot spot as children (and adults) walk by it every day”
Comment from 2 Mar 2026 in “Little Free Library Books” “She gets a ton of joy from seeing kids use it.”
Comment from 2 Mar 2026 in “Little Free Library Books” Mostly self sustaining
“Other than hat its been mostly self sustaining.”
Comment from 2 Mar 2026 in “Little Free Library Books” “pretty good for distributing stuff like that”
Comment from 21 Sep 2026 in “I stopped drinking the AI Kool-Aid”
What people said
All 19 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“pretty good for distributing stuff like that”
“they have a restrictive license”
“Little Free Libraries are a delightful way for us to find new books and put books we love back into the community.”
“an out of place paternalistic nudge that makes teens feel unsafe in their neighborhood”
“the map data quality was terrible”
“She gets a ton of joy from seeing kids use it.”
“it's been a hot spot as children (and adults) walk by it every day”
“I like the idea and books aren't something I value holding once I've read them”
“Drug addicts mess with them in most of the states I have been to”
“This is very cool, they are a common sight in some cities in Germany and I always love checking through them.”
“I don't think it works particularly well”
“My wife loves these, and tries to donate a book to them when she can.”
“Other than hat its been mostly self sustaining.”
“I look for them whenever I visit new places”
“Perfect excuse to go for a walk, get a book, read it, and then return it to one of the others.”
“A great project for any student taking wood shop”
“I think this is very cool and a brilliant idea”
“thought they were a pretty cool idea when I saw them”
“where books circulate freely, and if they aren’t returned, hopefully are read and not destroyed”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.