Content and photos by Jennifer Furber published on May 26, 2017
It’s no secret Friday Harbor loves books. And just a short walk from our inns, the Tucker House Inn and Harrison House Suites, adjacent to our very own Coho Restaurant, are two areas for book lending and borrowing.
Little Free Library
The first is an official Little Free Library kiosk. This non-profit organization inspires a community through a love of reading and book exchanges. Currently, there are 50,000 registered Little Free Library book exchange kiosks in all 50 states and even 70 countries around the world. Through this organization, millions of books are exchanged each year. This easy exchange increases access to books for all readers from all backgrounds and, in turn, fosters a highly literate community.
This adorable little book house operates on simplicity. The Little Free Library is a “take a book, return a book” book exchange. On busy days about town, when the streets are full of islanders and tourists, I’ve seen people chatting over a book and walking away as new friends. Some people stop briefly to place a book in the bin, others find a new favorite read. I’ve never seen it empty, and I’ve never seen the same titles inside for long.
Magazine Exchange Rack
Just a few steps down the same street, outside the Friday Harbor ACE Hardware store, is a magazine exchange rack. Honestly, it was one of the reasons I first fell in love with Friday Harbor’s way of life as a newcomer. I enjoy reading current magazines but don’t always have the extra money for a subscription. This magazine exchange operates on an honor system. Simply bring a magazine to trade in, in order to exchange it for one on the rack. The titles of magazines vary from popular ones like Time Magazine, In Touch, Glamour, National Geographic, and many others. It’s such an awesome thing to be able to find the titles I want, all left by my neighbors.