Want a book? Head to a Rocket Ship in Boulder, Colorado, United States, a cottage (小屋) near Ghen, Belgium, or a tree in Coeurd’ Alene, Idaho, United States. These are just three of the more than 80,000 Little Free Libraries in more than 90 countries. Unlike traditional libraries, these small structures aren't buildings where people check out books from a librarian.

“A Little Free Library is a box full of books from which, when you find one, you can take a book home with you,” explains Margret Aldrich, Little Free Library spokes-woman. “Or if you have a book to share, you can leave it for someone else to read.”

Little Free Libraries are everywhere: outside homes or beside coffee shops.

The first was set on a post in front of Todd Bol’s home in Hudson, Wisconsin, United States. The little schoolhouse Bol built held free books anyone could enjoy.

It became a local hit.

A year after setting up his library, Bol and Rick Brooks, a friend and business partner, launched Little Free Library as a nonprofit organization in 2012. Their goal was to make books more widely available while building connections within communities.

They inspired a book-sharing revolution.

Little Free Libraries began to spread all over the place-from Salvador, Brazil, to Grand Marais, Minnesota, United States.

Today, those who want to build one can get free instructions from the Little Free Library website.

“There weren't many public places like libraries where I live” says 10-year-old Umayr Ansari, who put a Little Free Library outside his home in Doha, Qatar. “I had a lot of extra books, and I wanted to share them so people who didn't have their own books could have a chance to read.”

“I liked to build the libraries and get the feeling of, ‘Wow I helped make that,’” says 11-year-old Ava Jelliek, “That gave me confidence.”

A cleaning staff (员工) member at the Summer Palace in Beijing has been widely praised online after a video of him explaining cultural relics and exhibitions to visitors during the recent National Day holiday was posted on the Internet. He has been dubbed the most powerful cleaning monk (僧人) by netizens.

In the video, the worker, Zhang Xu, 40, explains the sites to several tourists. What made it special was his clear explanation of dozens of hard-to-pronounce sites. He spoke with such confidence that it seemed like he was performing a tongue twister (绕口令). People thought he must be a tour guide or expert, yet he was wearing a cleaner’s uniform. After his explanation, Zhang smiled and returned to his work as though nothing had happened.

The video was posted online on Oct 7 and immediately became a hot topic on social media. Netizens expressed amazement at how ordinary people can become experts in certain areas. “In Beijing, no matter what you do, you can have a deep understanding of history and culture. Sometimes ordinary people are willing to explain things to complete strangers in exchange for a simple thumbs-up,” said one netizen. Zhang is better than ordinary tour guides, and the palace should offer him a job as a docent (讲解员), another commented.

The cleaner, who lives in Beijing, said he was surprised he’d become famous online, as he only wanted to help the tourists who seemed confused. He told Beijing Daily that he had been interested in architecture since he was a child. His father works in the construction industry. He has been a security guard and construction worker and has always had a strong interest in traditional architecture. He often refers to books or finds information online in his spare time.

Zhang joined the cleaning staff at the palace in late 2021 and walks about 40,000 steps inside the palace every day, so he knows a lot about it. “The traditional architecture of the palace is not just bricks. They have deep history and know how to speak to people who understand them,” he said. They are historic wonders with unique Asian aesthetics (美学), he added.