Posted on 02/23/2015 8:19:02 AM PST by Freelance Warrior
Three years ago, The Los Angeles Times published a story on the Little Free Library movement. The idea is simple: A book lover puts a box or shelf or crate of books in their front yard. Neighbors browse, take one, and return later with a replacement.
The L.A. Times followed up last week with a trend story that got things just about right. "two cities have recently cracked down on one of the country's biggest problems: small-community libraries where residents can share books," Michael Schaub wrote.
"Officials in Los Angeles and Shreveport, Louisiana, have told the owners of homemade lending libraries that they're in violation of city codes, and asked them to remove or relocate their small book collections."
We've constructed communities where one must obtain prior permission from agents of the state before freely sharing books with one's neighbors! And their proposed solution is to get scarce public art funds to pay for the needless layer of bureaucracy being imposed on the thing already being done for free.
The power to require permits is the power to prevent something from ever existing. This lovely movement would've never begun or spread if everyone who wanted to build a Little Free Library recognized a need to apply and pay for a permit. Instead they did good and asked permission never.
(Excerpt) Read more at citylab.com ...
CWII Spark Ping — From the Article: “two cities have recently cracked down on one of the country’s biggest problems: small-community libraries where residents can share books,”
{^)
I remember the tagline of one FReeper years ago that read something like, "Proudly posting without reading the article since 1998!"
This is satire, right? If not, then ad hoc renegade libraries are the least of our worries.
How long did you live in L.A. to know it so well? And what part of L.A.?
I've never lived in L.A., myself. So. Cal., yes. L.A., no.
A Little Free Library sounds like a better way to protect your house from burglars than any security system.
Is there a permit for the pile of garbage Furgeson claims is a memorial for Michael Brown?
The point is not to encourage literacy (though that is a worthy ideal), but to encourage community interaction. People getting out and together and just talking to one another.
Neat map at site.
One way to get around busy bodies is to not paint “Little Free Library” on it. Sure, the neighborhood knows what it is but Mrs. Kravitz wouldn’t have legal proof.
Politicians tend to be parasites. That’s why leftists and muzzies are so much alike. They both believe in the proposition: All Power to the Parasites!
Coming to your town soon ?
And then go back inside alone and read.
I’m all for scattering books around to people. But as social engineering they don’t tend to accomplish much.
Coincidentally, we havent seen that bureaucrat around lately.
Happy ending?
The ACCEPTANCE of the control over citizens by the citizens is simply beyond comprehension.
I think its time to take small stands wherever you can. If enough people push back, it might stop. Wait to long and they will cite precedence and history and all sorts of things.
I was a commercial fisherman years ago and from Alaska to Southern Cal, nearly every harbor and fish buyer had a book exchange for the crews. This government unapproved activity must stop!!!
A freeper posted a quote some time back about when so many laws come into existence.. we all become criminals. (I wish I could remember the exact quote). Anyways, I kept track one day of all the laws I broke and it is way more than you would think. I start my day by breaking one.. I heat up the car in the carport without me in it. Yes.. that is against the law even if the car is on your property. I’ve become quite the lawbreaker in my “old” age. LOL!
Roundabout way of looking at it, but ultimately, he is required to pay the taxes, not I. And I also don't act like the property is mine - In most ways, we all pay taxes like this. Bottom line, if my landlord's taxes aren't paid, they don't come after me for my alleged property. They go to him. Works for me. I'd rather work it that way than pretend I own a piece of property. No one actually owns their property - it now all belongs to the State, as evidenced by their ability to tax and regulate and permit every single thing you do. If you have to ask permission to build something on your property, that property ain't yours.
Conservatives need to actively shrink government; the strategy of trying to hold the line is no better here than it was in Vietnam. We should eliminate most permits. The insane number of hours required for a beautician is an unnecessary barrier to entry. The insane price of a taxi medallion in NYC is an unnecessary barrier to entry. A permit to share books again serves no sane purpose. We need to start disassembling government at the federal, state, and local levels.
My towns trash transfer center(the dump) has a book exchange. I always look through it to see if there is anything worth reading. The last time my son went with me, I picked up an orginal hard copy of Robert Ludlum’s: The Bourne Identity and gave it to my son. I read it fifteen years ago.
Gosh, I hope the Town Librarian doesn’t come after me.
For those of you who don’t believe that these are effective or exist:
There are lots of these around the country and it is growing in popularity. I have thought of starting our own.
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