Community, or Little Free Libraries, have been quietly popping up around Nelson in recent years – and they’re proving irresistibly popular. Usually tucked inside a cabinet outside someone’s private residence, these tiny treasure troves operate as self-policing book exchanges and provide a charming focal point for neighbourhood readers. Justin Eade talks to some of the locals behind them about the when, why and how of these pint-sized literary hubs.
Miyazu Community Library | Rod and Ngaire Witte
Rod and Ngaire Witte operate the Miyazu Community Library on Atawhai Drive near Wakapuaka Cemetery, and it has proved incredibly popular since its inception as a lockdown project in 2021.
Rod relished building the little library, which was first suggested by his wife, Ngaire. Like many good ideas, it began simply – with a love of books and a bit of spare time during lockdown. The signage on the library merely says ‘Take a Book’ and ‘Leave a Book’ – and it’s a principle which works remarkably well, says Ngaire, with just a little bit of maintenance needed from time to time. “Sometimes it’s overloaded and you have to go down and clear it out, especially over summer. Somebody will arrive with a box of books, and then it will be overcrowded. Initially I’d take them out and take them down to Founders, but now I just tend to leave them in the garage and when it gets a bit empty I just put them back out again.”
It ebbs and flows, just like any good book exchange should. Rod says it takes very little to maintain. “We don’t do too much with it, we just go down occasionally and tidy it up. Sometimes people will drop off things like flyers, real estate magazines and the freebie-type stuff, so we just clean that up and chuck it in the recycling bin, but it’s not very frequent.”
The name ‘Miyazu Community Library’ came from the fact they seem to be “in a bit of a no-man’s area” – neither Brooklands, The Wood, nor quite Atawhai. So attaching it to Miyazu Gardens and Miyazu Park, just around the corner, felt like a good idea. It gives it a sense of place – a little separate pocket of Nelson with its own identity. It also helps that Rod built the structure in a Japanese style, complete with a cedar shingle roof. It looks purposeful. Considered. Almost like it has always belonged there.
So why did they decide to do one? Ngaire says they had heard of two other Little Free Libraries around Nelson and were keen to create one of their own. But during the first Covid lockdown in 2020, people were understandably reluctant to share books in case they might be sharing the virus too, so the idea had to sit on the back burner for a while. Rod says another reason they decided on building a library is that they have a campervan and travel quite a bit.
Picking up and swapping books along the way has become part of the ritual. “There’s some quite cool ones about the place. Campervan people tend to use these libraries quite a bit.”
There was also a family reason. Their granddaughter, now 10, had once been interested in becoming a librarian and was a really avid reader, so Rod built it partly to encourage her love of books. A small structure, perhaps – but a big gesture.
For Ngaire, the true value of the initiative lies in the generosity behind it. “It’s amazing – sometimes you find there’s very valuable books there that people could sell, but it’s a lovely concept to just share them because you still can read them once, then share them with others. Just recently I’ve been reading quite a few autobiographies from there and they’re really interesting, but you probably only need to read them once, and then let others read.”
Rod is into reading climbing and mountaineering books, and every now and then a book he’s been after for years will quietly appear on the shelf. “It’s just incredible – it’s like a little bonus!”
Rod built the house they currently live in, having a builder frame it up before working alongside him to complete it. When lockdown arrived, he had some timber left over and was looking for a project. “I had the cedar shingles and bits and pieces of leftover timber, and the mesh for the stone base. The cabinet came from the café at Founders – it was a bar fridge. When I first built it, I was quite sceptical, thinking it would all fill up with rubbish, y’know, Mills and Boon and Readers Digest Condensed books, but it hasn’t – it’s real quality stuff.”
People tend to respect the free nature of the library. It operates entirely on an honesty system, and there haven’t been thefts. Only a few minor repairs have been needed on the cabinet over the years. A lot of people think the library is provided by the Council, and it’s only occasionally – when Ngaire happens to be down the drive – that she’ll get chatting to people and they realise it’s privately run. The feedback, she says, is always positive.
Initially, the books came from their own stored collection, or they would buy them from Founders. Now, the shelves seem to replenish themselves. When they go away, the library simply self-regulates. They can be gone for a month at a time. “It pretty much looks after itself…”
Rod and Ngaire hope it will be there indefinitely. “It is well loved. You see the same cars pulling up. It’s a feel-good thing – the same thing as setting up Christmas lights for people to come and look at. It’s community, and feel-good.”
Suffolk Road | Judith and Paul Buck
Judith and Paul Buck operate a popular Little Free Library on Suffolk Road near Saxton Field, and it too has been warmly embraced by the neighbourhood.
Judith says she loves reading, so the pleasure of having access to books she wouldn’t normally have read – or owned – is a definite bonus. “I’ve known about Little Free Libraries for years as I’d come across them in different parts of New Zealand. I had the idea back in 2019 for us to have one as somewhere to put extra books. Paul built the current library, but we both designed it together. It was also an experiment to see whether people would use it once it was put in place, so we’re very happy it’s been well used.”
They check it every few days – sometimes to select something for themselves, sometimes just to tidy up. Gaps appear. Books lean. Covers fade in the sun. It’s a living little thing. Occasionally they remove items such as outdated calendars or certain non-fiction books that may not be moving. They supplied the initial books from their own shelves. Like the Atawhai Drive library, sometimes it is overflowing as more books are returned than taken. Other times it needs topping up.
They rotate stock thoughtfully. “Some of the books we take out don’t go back in, but get diverted to either Founders Park for the annual Book Fair, or a second-hand shop,” Judith says.
People find it in the most organic way possible – by walking or driving past and spotting the red roof. If they’re interested in reading, or simply curious, they stop. That simple visibility has helped foster a quiet but meaningful connection with the community.
Judith says they occasionally get feedback. “One lady said she removed a number of 1963 calendars and got rid of them for us. Another lady asked whether she could drop off a couple of boxes of books in advance to save her always carrying books around. We got three large boxes which were fun to check through.”
After Covid, one woman even left them a bottle of wine as a thank you for keeping her sane with a good supply of books during lockdown.
There are about five other little libraries Judith can walk to within a five-kilometre radius. Others she spots while driving – and if she has time, she’ll pull over and have a look.
Paul is currently building a bigger library because they decided the existing one is a bit small. The new one will be approximately double the size. There’s no intention of taking it away or stopping anytime soon. “It’s been such a positive experience,” Judith says.
Hammill Grove| Vicki Frost
In Stoke, Vicki Frost’s little library on Hammill Grove grew out of a deep love of reading – and an equally strong love of community.
A primary school teacher currently home-schooling her son, Vicki moved into her newly built home in late 2015. The street was still young, with many houses under construction and families just settling in. So she quickly volunteered to become the Neighbourhood Watch representative. “I love building connections and creating a strong sense of community,” she says.
She began organising get-togethers and street barbecues, always looking for ways to encourage a genuine neighbourhood spirit. Around that time, she started seeing photos and stories online about Little Free Libraries. “The idea really resonated with me.”
Vicki had travelled extensively, backpacking overseas and often swapping books in places where English-language titles were hard to find. “I’m a passionate reader, and as a teacher I was constantly on the hunt for second-hand books to stock my classroom library. All of this came together and inspired me to start a little library of my own.”
She began with an old wooden box from the recycling centre. It worked beautifully at first, but after about a year it began to deteriorate in the weather. Then she spotted someone giving away an old fridge. She immediately thought it would be ideal. She painted it up, installed it on the street, and it has been there ever since. At one point, she even used the library as a collection point for bread tags for wheelchairs – another small act of community support.
As a big reader, Vicki already had a substantial collection of books. It felt like the perfect time to part with the ones sitting on her “one day I’ll read them” pile. She also sourced books from Founders Book Fair, friends, and neighbours. “I’m not strict about the ‘take a book, leave a book’ rule. If someone takes a book and doesn’t leave one, that’s absolutely fine. Sometimes people return books to a different little library, which is great too. Others drop off a whole pile of books they’re finished with. It all seems to balance itself out.”
Over the years, the library has included cookbooks, CDs, DVDs and religious reading material. Sometimes people stop for a chat to say how much they love it. There are many regular users. One man has been coming once a week for years and swaps a pile of books for a local rest home. On several occasions, when Vicki has been out and about, people have mentioned “the little library at Hammill Grove,” and she’s been able to say it’s actually outside her house – a small but lovely reminder of how widely known it has become.
Vicki says she loves playing a small part in supporting and encouraging community spirit. She’s passionate about sharing, recycling and rehoming rather than buying new.
She also started a Nelson/Tasman Buy Nothing Facebook group, which now has nearly 5,000 members and reflects those same values. “Both the library and the Facebook group take very little time to manage, and people have been incredibly kind, respectful and responsible. I even moved away for a couple of years to care for my terminally ill parents, and the little library essentially looked after itself with the support of the community.”
While she’s living there, the library will stay. And if she ever moves, she says she’ll ask the new homeowners if they’d like to keep it going.
Built at the Menzshed
Grant Raven, a committee member of the Menzshed based at Founders Park, says they have been building little libraries on demand for people for some time now.
He recalls a woman coming in one day with a photo and a request: “Could the Shed build one of these street-side book exchanges, please?”
Damian Roughan, with his in-depth experience in building and managing projects as a senior school master in trades, was the perfect person for the job.
Mostly, these cabinets are constructed in timber, then painted. They feature narrow corrugated tin roofs and generally clear Perspex doors. A square-section wooden mounting post is normally provided. The length of time to construct one depends on Damian’s availability. Grant says that although Damian generally puts in five hours or more, three days per week, he’ll often do more when several orders are lined up.
Damian recalls the Moana Ave book library being opened with great fanfare – and champagne. He thinks perhaps Margaret Mahy’s sister was in attendance.
The Hardy Street library has also received positive comments, with some residents known to browse at night using head torches. The kaitiaki for each library are the owners of the properties to which they are attached. “The demand is there, we know,” says Grant. “It’s just a matter of letting people know to contact us by calling into the MENZSHED at Founders Park to discuss their or their community’s requirements.”
Alternatively, people can send their name and contact details with the subject marked ‘Street-side Book Exchange information request’ to menzshed.nelson@gmail.com
Find other Little Free Libraries at:
Marybank Road, Atawhai
Bay View Road, Atawhai
Brooklands Road, Atawhai
Halifax Street, Nelson
Nile Street near the Cathedral
Seymour Street, Nelson
Vanguard Street, Nelson
Seaview Road, Stoke
Covent Drive, Stoke
Saxton Road, Stoke
Point Road, Monaco
Fairose Drive, Richmond
Jester House, Tasman
