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Cub Scout Adventures > 
Arrow of Light >
 Citizenship > 
Little Free Library
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Arrow of Light – 5th Grade
Citizenship
Citizenship
Required
Requirement 2

Little Free Library

Arrow of Light – 5th Grade
Citizenship
Citizenship
Required
Requirement 2

Little Free Library

Snapshot of Activity

Cub Scouts build a little free library from recycled materials and fill it with books to support their community. 

Outdoor
4
5
5
If you want to know more about The Adventure Activity Key click here.

For the library book box: 

  • An unfinished pine frame with an inside measurement of 8″ x 10″ 
  • Pallets, or old discarded fencing or wood,  wood should be the same thickness, no less than 3⁄4″ 
  • 2″ x 2″ x 11″ board for the roof cleat 
  • Pocketknife 
  • Exterior wood glue 
  • Pipe clamps 
  • Two self-closing overlay hinges 
  • Cabinet knob 
  • A sheet of clear acrylic, large enough to be cut to fit into the groove in the back of the frame 
  • Very fine-toothed saw (or utility knife if your acrylic is thin) 
  • If your wood is 3⁄4″ thick, you will need 60 1 1⁄4″ exterior wood screws 
  • Drill and drill bits for predrilling lag bolts and screws 
  • Crosscut saw and ripsaw 
  • 1⁄4″ drill bit for vent holes 
  • Sandpaper 
  • Exterior paint 

For  the post: 

  • 4″ x 4″ x 5′ fence post 
  • Two 2″ x 4″ x 6″ boards 
  • 2″ x 8″ x 14″ board 
  • 8 1 1/2″ exterior wood screws 
  • 8 3/8″ x 3″ galvanized lag bolts 

Books for the library  

Before the meeting: 

  1. Complete the SAFE Service Project Planning Checklist if you have not done so already for this project in requirement 1. 
  2. Become familiar with how to build a little free library Scout Life “How to Build a Little Free Library.” 
  3. Find a location for the little free library. Ask your Chartered Organization or other community groups if they have a place for it. 
  4. Ask Cub Scout parents or legal guardians to help collect the needed supplies. 
  5. Talk to Cubmaster about holding a pack book drive to stock the little free library. 

During the meeting: 

  1. Review the SAFE Service Project Planning Checklist with the Scouts. 
  2. Collect more than enough boards to build the library, because some of the recycled wood will not be usable. Choose the cleanest wood from your pile. Remove any nails and cut off any unusable wood. 
  3. Cut the remaining boards to a rough length. The boards should not be too long when gluing and clamping them together. Sand all the edges and any rough spots. 
  4. Choose several boards close to the same length. Apply a thin layer of glue to all the edges and clamp them tightly together as shown. Allow each panel to dry overnight. Clamp and glue together enough panels to make all the parts of the library. 
  5. Use the drawings as a guide to cut to size the door frame, gable end supports and roof cleat. 
  6. Use the drawings as a guide to cut to size the roof, walls, floor and gable end sections. Glue and screw the walls, floor, door frame and gable end support together. 
  7. Glue and screw the gable ends to the supports. Screw the roof cleat to the inside of the gable ends. Glue and screw the roof in place. Drill two 1⁄4″ holes at the top of each gable end for ventilation. 
  8. Cut and fasten the acrylic window inside the door. Hinge the door to the door frame, and screw on the cabinet knob. 
  9. Paint the library any colors you wish. Mount your library on a post (4″ x 4″ x 5′) buried 2′ in the ground. Fill it with books, and your library is complete. 

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Bray Barnes

Director, Global Security Innovative
Strategies

Bray Barnes is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, Silver
Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Learning for Life Distinguished
Service Award. He received the Messengers of Peace Hero award from
the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he’s a life member of
the 101st Airborne Association and Vietnam Veterans Association. Barnes
serves as a senior fellow for the Global Federation of Competitiveness
Councils, a nonpartisan network of corporate CEOs, university presidents, and
national laboratory directors. He has also served as a senior executive for the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, leading the first-responder program
and has two U.S. presidential appointments

David Alexander

Managing Member Calje

David Alexander is a Baden-Powell Fellow, Summit Bechtel Reserve philanthropist, and recipient of the Silver Buffalo and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the founder of Caljet, one of the largest independent motor fuels terminals in the U.S. He has served the Arizona Petroleum Marketers Association, Teen Lifeline, and American Heart Association. A triathlete who has completed hundreds of races, Alexander has also mentored the women’s triathlon team at Arizona State University.

Glenn Adams

President, CEO & Managing Director
Stonetex Oil Corp.

Glenn Adams is a recipient of the Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, and Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He is the former president of the National Eagle Scout Association and established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award. He has more than 40 years of experience in the oil, gas, and energy fields, including serving as a president, owner, and CEO. Adams has also received multiple service awards from the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.