CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (July 29, 2025) — “Laura’s Library” in Concord is stocked with books that value creativity, inclusion and kindness to others as a loving tribute to Jessica Davis’ late mother-in-law, Laura Whitson.

So it is that each Little Free Library (LFL) tells a unique tale that has added to the listings across the country ever since the first one was erected in 2009 in Hudson, Wis. Today, there are more than 200,000 libraries.

That includes dozens in Central Contra Costa County, scattered from the west side of Pleasant Hill to those dotting Concord and boxes that extend to the far reaches of Clayton – all carrying on the non-profit’s shared mission: to inspire a love of reading, build community and spark creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges around the world.

What began as a solo endeavor along Laurel Drive in Concord for Davis came to fruition in just a few days with the help of her father and mum, Frank and Natalie Bogaart, who were visiting from Australia during the summer of 2024.

When they constructed the little library as an enduring symbol of her gentle character, Whitson had just moved to a community where her Parkinson’s Disease and dementia symptoms could be better managed. She died from complications of those diseases last November.
“This library is an extension of our memory of Laura,” Davis said.

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Libraries with ­personality

Similarly, other local LFL endeavors embody their makers, like “The Oakvue Blue” located along Oakvue Road in Pleasant Hill. It went up during the pandemic, using a refurbished newspaper box.

“It expresses our belief in the three Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle. It is low maintenance and easy to spot this bright blue box. And the door is low enough for kids to reach in for books,” its owners wrote on the LFL website. “We are now able to share our love of reading with our neighbors and friends.”

In that same vein, Laura’s Library is an old cupboard that belonged to her. Frank further repurposed it by adding acrylic windows in the original doors, making a roof, then installing the post and support beams to make the construction as safe as possible.

Like other local installations, Davis’ incorporates bright colors and is large enough to contain books for all types of readers.

“We live in a community that’s full of young kids, dog owners and dedicated folks getting their steps in, so there’s lots of people walking by every day,” she said. “The idea was to build a community waypoint that brightened people’s days and brought our community together through the love of reading.”

At Laura’s Library, visitors can find titles about Hanukkah and Easter, queer young adult love stories, and books on Buddhist philosophy, African-American poetry and social justice. It also offers “blind date with a book” (BDWAB) packages that feature either new or currently popular books. The package typically includes a bookmark, stickers, face or eye masks, tea bags and pencils. Davis noted that a few of those books have returned to the library for someone else to enjoy, too.

“We’ve stocked birding guides, books on crochet and papercrafts, grief, health and everything else you can think of,” said Davis. “As a community, we have a wide range of interests and experiences – and libraries should reflect that diversity.”

‘An extension of the vibe’

Pleasant Hill resident Patrick Maguire wholeheartedly embraced that sentiment. He frequents little libraries in the Poets Corner neighborhood near Oak Park Boulevard where he regularly walks his dog Lucy, an unofficial Pleasant Hill ambassador. One stop yielded the surprising Malcolm Gladwell non-fiction work “Bomber Mafia” that Maguire described as a very interesting and well-told historical lesson on air power in the 20th century as wielded mostly in WWII.

Maguire comes from a family of readers and library patrons. His parents served on his hometown library committee, his sister is a librarian, and all his kids are good readers.

“P-Hill fits the bill there and proves the premise as a good community with a good library,” said Maguire. “I feel like the little libraries are an extension of the vibe.”

Concord resident Katie Williams saw the opportunity to install one in front of her Bethany Lane residence as an extension of her passion for spreading the joy of reading to children and adults that grew out of her 36 years of service as a school librarian in middle and high schools.
“I had seen other Little Free Libraries when I traveled and thought it would be a great project for my retirement,” she said.

It took about a month from when she ordered her LFL kit – she thought choosing one of the pre-made options was better than what she could ever attempt – for her to complete the project. Her daughter and her husband in Oregon also have installed a Little Free Library.

The reaction to Williams’ LFL has been wonderful, with passersby expressing their appreciation for having books available for them to read. Being an avid reader with books she is eager to share, Williams also keeps the LFL stocked with books she has purchased from library sales and secondhand stores.

“My community regularly fills the LFL with books, so I have not had to spend too much money, which I am grateful for,” she said.

From time to time, she also receives very old and outdated textbooks. Ever the librarian, she promptly removes them from the stacks so as not to provide information that is no longer accurate.

Ten years on since erecting her library in the summer of 2015, Williams sadly has had a couple of occasions when overnight visitors took it upon themselves to remove all of her offerings. But it hasn’t dampened her enthusiasm for being the keeper of her neighborhood’s little library branch. She simply follows the British pre-World War II slogan: Keep calm and carry on.

Davis acknowledged a couple of instances when she found books defaced with messages of shame, or disapproving feedback regarding the content or decor of our library.

“This is a tiny number in comparison with the outpouring of love and excitement from visitors,” she said. “Visitors don’t need to enjoy everything, but we aim to have something for everyone.”

For more information about Little Free Libraries in the surrounding area, visit www.littlefreelibrary.org and click on FIND to insert a city name or a postal code in the search bar.