Woman Transforms 110-Year-Old Tree Stump Into Incredible ‘Tiny’ Library For Locals

What once was an old stump is now something useful and magical to the children living in this neighborhood. While this cottonwood tree was no longer living, Sharalee Armitage Howard saw it’s potential when no-one else did.

This ‘tiny’ library is actually pretty decent in size and is a perfect little get-away for all who come in contact with it. Sharalee Armitage Howard who was well aware of the Little Free Library decided to take matters into her own hands and create a unique home for books right in her front yard. For those who do not know the Little Free Library concept is a nonprofit organization that works to build small libraries or ‘book exchanges’ in places across the world. We actually recently had one pop up in the middle of town where I am and it is a truly interesting idea overall.

In regards to why this tree had to come down Atlas Obscura wrote as follows:

Although the tree needed to come down, likely since her family had bought the house 15 years ago, Howard says that she had a hard time letting go. In November 2018, after a branch dropped onto her son’s car, the end finally arrived. Once Howard saw inside the tree, it was clear that the inner wood had rotted.

But even then, Howard hoped to give the stump another life. “I thought: What if I kept the trunk part of it? What if we make it into one of those Little Free Libraries?” she says. “Immediately I could envision the little steps going up to it. I knew I’d do a lot of features to make it match the house. You just have these ‘what if’ moments and then your brain starts figuring out how to make it work.”

This library Howard created was registered with the Little Free Library organization and can even be found on their ‘world map.’ As you can see in the photographs below her amazing library is built out of the stump that once was this ancient tree. With a large green door and warm lights, it is quite a welcoming sight. While you cannot go inside it, you can open up and choose a book to bring home. The idea behind this is that you come and get a book all the while also leaving one behind. Those in the area can exchange books and share things they enjoy with other people close by and everyone through this is able to grow closer and closer.

You can read more about Howard by clicking here. Her tiny library is quite the interesting lawn ornament and is making rounds online quite frequently now. Wouldn’t you love to have something like this in your neighborhood? It’s a lot easier to get done than you might imagine, you can do anything you set your mind to.