In the Twin Palms Neighborhood of Palm Springs, resident bibliophiles proudly unveiled their first Little Free Library on May 14—and its location isn’t the only selling point.
The library is designed to mimic the butterfly roof, one of the most iconic and recognizable designs in the valley. It pays homage to the late William Krisel, a pioneering architect known for designing homes adorned with slanting rooflines. Krisel designed numerous homes in the Coachella Valley.
Carol Munro chairs the advisory board of the Twin Palms Neighborhood Organization. Munro explained why the group wanted the little library to reflect Krisel’s influence.
“It’s a significant architectural neighborhood,” she said. “This little structure, it’s in keeping with the styles of our homes. It has the butterfly roof. It’s probably two feet by eight by 18 inches. I mean, it’s fairly good-sized.”
Munro moved to Palm Springs from Seattle, and she wondered where to find little libraries here. “There were lots of them, all over in Seattle,” she said.
She saw four or five when she lived in the Racquet Club Neighborhood, and several more around Palm Springs, but was surprised people didn’t know what they were, or how to use them.
“I mean, the questions you get,” she said. “‘Oh, how does it work? Is it open all the time? Do I have to bring (books) back? Do I have to pay?’”
If you see an overgrown birdhouse on a stand on a sidewalk, it’s likely a little free library. “You can take a book or donate books. Bring them back, or don’t bring them back; the whole idea is just a little book exchange,” Munro said.
This simple concept—stop by a book-sharing box, and take a book or leave one—has grown into a global phenomenon. According to littlefreelibrary.org, Little Free Library is a nonprofit thatstarted in 2009 in St. Paul, Minn. Today, the organization lists 175,000 registered libraries in 121 countries, and has a library-location app available in iOS and Android.
On the site, you can buy a DIY kit or accessories including personalized signage and book collections to start a library. Instructions to build your own can be found in numerous places online. The cost, including mounting materials and stand, generally runs from $300 to $500.
The trend is growing locally. The Palm Desert Library recently announced it would open five self-service little libraries at local parks, as part of an effort to keep the community engaged while the main library is closed for renovations, as it transitions from county to city management. Palm Desert will also dispatch a bookmobile to provide traditional borrowing services throughout the city.
The Little Free Library map lists several dozen libraries spread throughout the valley. In one Cathedral City spot, two little library boxes are nestled among clay rabbits, whimsical statuary and a reading bench; a sign-in book is included. The boxes, draped with flowers and shells, feature interior lighting.
The LFL national organization touts the “unique, personal touch” that individuals bring to their libraries, and the “understanding that real people are sharing their favorite books with their community; little libraries have been called ‘mini-town squares.’”
In the case of the Twin Palms Neighborhood, the new little library reflects the uniqueness of its location. Evelyn Yardley runs neighborhood tours for Modernism Week; the tours are one of the signature features of the 10-day festival. She said the Krisel-themed mini library is an extension of other ways in which the community has honored the design luminary.
“Twin Palms, they actually have a William Krisel exhibit that they bring out during Modernism,” said Yardley. “They have this unbelievable exhibit that they put up at the Ocotillo Lodge. It’s wonderful, and people get to learn the history of that area and what William Krisel brought to this community as far as development is concerned.”
The city re-named a street after Krisel in 2016. Yardley said the idea to mimic a Krisel design element for the free library was unique.
“When they first came (to discuss the idea with the Modernism Week committee), we said, ‘Wow, what a cute, great idea,’” Yardley said. “But what I loved is, this was giving back to a community where the homeowners could benefit. We said, ‘That’s Twin Palms thinking outside the box.’”
Modernism Week funds scholarships at the College of the Desert Department of Architecture/Environmental Design. Munro has connections with the department as well, so it made sense to enlist faculty and students there to help design, construct and install the structure.
The neighborhood financed the little library with funds raised from its Modernism Week tours.
“Taking some of the proceeds of the tours and investing in this is a way to add an amenity to the neighborhood,” said Munro. “It’s nice for them to see … where the money goes back into the neighborhoods.”
Twin Palms will no doubt highlight its Krisel-themed Little Free Library on neighborhood tours next year, as Modernism Week celebrates its 25th anniversary. In the meantime, locals can come by to grab or leave a book—or simply to enjoy the pleasures of good design.
Edited on May 29 to clarify the relationship between the neighborhood and College of the Desert.
