Free Libraries: Embracing a Little Chaos

Take a Step back.
Take a deep breath.
Think.

Do you really want to be the person who calls the city inspector to bust a 9 year old's Little Free Library? Well, that is exactly what happened ...

"The Leawood City Council said it had received a couple of complaints about Spencer Collins' Little Free Library. They dubbed it an "illegal detached structure" and told the Collins' they would face a fine if they did not remove [it]." - From The Atlantic

I wonder how miserable and dissatisfied these people are with their own lives that they insist a non-offensive, non-intrusive, miniature structure in a front yard constitutes the calling of authorities. Furthermore, where are we as a society that we take these complaints seriously? Or, that City Council members hear of such an infraction and don't immediately change the law.

What you see above is a menace to our neighborhoods that must be stopped!

The Little Free Library has an advice tab on their website that offers advice on how to deal with zoning regulations. Turns out - thankfully - that the 9 year old from above won an appeal from the City Council. You can watch his victory speech here. 

The power to require a permit for every small little thing is the power to prevent things from ever happening. Despite this, Little Free Libraries are still popping up everywhere.  And, this is a good thing.

Great cities are chaotic. It's what makes them interesting. Regulating out things like Little Free Libraries does nothing but hurt your city. There is a beauty to chaos, and you should embrace it. Because, you won't always be able to stop it.