Hurray! After over a year without our outdoor-bookshelf in this corner of Edinburgh, we’re delighted to announce that the Little Free Library Is Back!

Originally installed in 2016, the well-used, much-loved community resource has reappeared, stronger and sturdier, in its place on a garden fence in the Stockbridge Colonies.

Blown down in the storm of January 2025, and damaged beyond repair, I knew that, especially in lockdown, this little box of books was a lifeline of connection and escape.

It took a while to find someone who could build a library that could withstand the Scottish weather, protect the books, and would be safe and easy to access. 

Yann Jameson, a boat builder on Mull, stepped up to the job. Using local larch he’s constructed a very solid bookcase, treated with not one but three layers of marine-grade oil to defy rain and damp. 

The motivation to host this little library was to share books that I’ve read, and to promote The Travelling Bookbinder, believing that everyone has a book inside them. The only downside is I’m often tempted by new curious titles that appear! Whilst taking the responsibilities of librarian very seriously, the contents are not arranged according to the Dewey Decimal System! I just try to ensure it’s well stocked, and am very grateful to all the neighbours and visitors who add to the shelves.

Find a short history of Little Free Libraries on their website. Incredibly, there are now over 200,000 registered book boxes, in 128 different countries around the world – wow. This one is number #36444 on the global map. I had no idea that Little-Free-Library-Tourism is a thing – it’s lovely to see passers by having a peek.

In this Year of Reading, making books accessible is more important than ever. The contents of the library changes, almost daily, with everything from romance to Penguin Classics, philosophy to novels passing through. I love the mix of low-brow and high-brow.

See back to Storm Eowyn when we lost the original library.

Read more about The Little Free Library worldwide organisation!

This one has featured in several Edinburgh guide books, including Hidden Scotland’s, and Shawna Law’s Pockets of Pretty book, and regularly appears on social media…

The organisation’s tagline is ‘Take a book. Share a book’ so now that this Little Free Library is Back, come on down for a browse and a borrow!

Many thanks to Premier for spreading the good news, and Ian Georgeson for capturing the opening party.