Open for Business

 

There’s a branch of the Gulfport Public Library on the waterfront, but you might have to search carefully to find it between two flowery bushes next to the city’s historic casino. Not only is it tiny compared to your traditional library, but you’ll also be hard pressed to find the librarian.

The “branch”, a cheerful blue and white wooden box decorated like bait shop on a chest-high pole, is part of the Little Free Library “take a book, return a book” exchange.

The box, photographed July 12, was established almost two years ago with materials donated by the Circle of Friends of the Gulfport Public Library and is one of about half a dozen in Gulfport. As of last month, there were 40,000 registered Little Free Library exchanges in the U.S. and 70 countries around the world, according to the organization’s website. To find one near you visit https://littlefreelibrary.org/ourmap