Little Free Libraries & the Middle School Design Build course

The Middle School Design Build course honed in on the world of mini architecture, with students exploring design and construction on a small but meaningful scale. Their work centered around the Little Free Library program—a worldwide initiative that encourages neighbors to share books through small, publicly accessible book boxes where anyone can take a book or leave one for others to enjoy. These tiny libraries have become beloved fixtures in communities around the world, sparking curiosity, literacy, and connection.

For their final project, the class embraced the spirit of the season with a fun and imaginative challenge: creating a Little Free Spooky Library. Chris and his students, with help from Jeff, worked together through the full design-build process—imagining concepts, sketching ideas, planning materials, and constructing the final structure. The result was a delightfully eerie miniature library designed to capture the magic of Halloween.

Once completed, the Little Free Spooky Library was stocked exclusively with creepy, mysterious, and spine-tingling reads and installed publicly in the community just in time for Halloween. It stood as a perfect example of mini architecture at its finest, showcasing both craftsmanship and creativity.

We love seeing student ideas come to life in our neighborhood and add a dose of fun to our communities. See if you can find this library the next time you’re in Niwot; stop by, open the door, and grab a spooky story—if you dare!