You may have noticed some of the community library boxes around town but we decided to go behind the scenes and find out more about some of these little gems and the folks behind them!
First of all, there is an official Little Free Library (LFL) designation that can be obtained by following some basic guidelines, found HERE. You will also find a map of officially chartered Little Free Libraries in Boulder City by clicking HERE. There are currently six official LFLs in our area, but several unofficial ones as well!
Rachel Pancheri and Dan Combs, 209 Wyoming Street: This one was built in 2017 by Rachel from some shipping crates and has an Alice in Wonderland theme. Rachel says she was inspired to make her own library to encourage others to take up reading. She loves poetry books in particular and is a fan of author and poet, Lewis Carroll. You may recognize Rachel and Dan from Boulder Bowl, which brings us to our next library.
Rachel Pancheri and Dan Combs, 504 California Street: One of the coolest things about LFLs is that they show up in unexpected places. This particular library is located inside Boulder Bowl, owned by Rachel and Dan. They added the library a few years ago as a way of continuing their community outreach.
Andrea Dempsey, 635 Avenue D: Andrea first set up her LFL in January 2014. A couple years later, she added a little extra something for dogs who visit with their owners. Andrea likes to share books with the community, especially children. She loves the messages she receives from visitors to her library, written on the sidewalk in chalk. She noted that children’s books are especially needed for the mini libraries so consider this when donating books to be shared.
Diana Essbach, 765 Sandra Drive: A transplant from New Jersey, Diana’s husband, George, built one there in 2020. When they relocated to Nevada in 2021, she requested a new library for her new home. Her daughter painted her LFL and it’s simply beautiful. Inside you’ll find books of all genres. She’s had her library blessed by local Girl Scouts, who have provided books and bookmarks. “Characters become friends,” she told us and we agree! She’s also a member of Friends of the Boulder City Library.
Ann L, 107 Forest Lane: A library professional, it wasn’t necessarily surprising that she ended up with a LFL of her own. She enjoys books because you can completely entertain yourself. Daughter of an Army member, she lived in Japan until age 12, before eventually relocating to Missouri, where she began her career by shelving books in her local library. “You can’t have a bad day when you have books,” she asserts.
Here are a list of official and unofficial (chartered) Little Free Libraries in Boulder City. Official LFLs are in bold.
- 525 Avenue B, Little Donation Library (Boulder City Company Store)
- 1305 Arizona Street, Little Donation Library (Boulder Dam Hotel)
- Book Donation Shelf, 600 Nevada Way (For Clients)
- Commission Shelf, 554 Nevada Way (Dam Roast House)
- 765 Sandra Drive, Diana Essbach
- 209 Wyoming Street, Rachel Panchieri and Dan Combs
- 504 California Avenue, Rachel Panchieri and Dan Combs (Boulder Bowl)
- 635 Avenue D, Andrea Dempsey
- 107 Forest Lane, Ann L
- 200 Wilson Circle, Josh Reams
- 300 Railroad Way (Community Gardens)
- 1316 Colorado Street
- 892 El Camino Way
- 1001 El Camino Way
- 409 Utah Street
- 721 Arizona Street
- 1502 Darlene Way
If you have a little library and would like to be added to this list, please email tina@bouldercitysocial.com.
