Focusing her lens on little libraries
Mill Valley woman documents life through Little Free Libraries
Stuck at home and stressed out about the election and life’s uncertainties, Alison Wilson needed a distraction. She tried her hand at making a cutting board and table tops out of redwood slabs. She dabbled in watercolors and ceramics. And the longtime Mill Valley resident began exploring around the Sycamore neighborhood alone or with her daughter Dani, discovering new streets and hills she hadn’t seen before.
It didn’t take long for Wilson to notice the array of Little Free Libraries outside houses and around the city. Drawn to them, she took out her phone and started photographing them, documenting a small slice of her life and the city during the pandemic.
Many treks later, Wilson has photographed more than 30 little libraries, relying on Nextdoor to find ones she’d missed. Twelve of the Mill Valley libraries she’s found are featured on her card she created, Little Free Libraries of Mill Valley, which will be sold at Two Neat in downtown Mill Valley starting this week.
Q Why do these libraries resonate with you?
A I just found something serendipitous about discovering these libraries, some in really remote locations.
The first library I’d seen was across from Old Mill School and I thought it was a family that must be instructors or educators. I didn’t know there an organization, nonprofit Little Free Library. There’s one at Hauke Park that’s like right in the field and I really like that one. Some had hand sanitizer attached, some had bumper stickers about the election, all very unique and very Mill Valley, and a sign of the times. And the fact that I borrowed a couple books when the library was cut off and just the different characters of all of them that reflected their owners to me. Some even looked like their house, down to the tile.
Q Was making cards an interest of yours?
A No, not at all. I made beautiful cards when my mom died with a quote of John F. Kennedy. One Sunday, 10 years ago, I walked into Two Neat and another shop and they agreed to sell them. It’s my mom on her honeymoon and Two Neat sells it in the sympathy section. Two Neat owner Bob Bijou and I have a relationship and I can say, “Hey, I am making this card, will you sell it?” I’ve made bookmarks and will probably make a tea towel, too.
Q Does this project reflect on these pandemic times?
A It does absolutely because it was such a unique time and I experienced a lot of loss, not all COVID related, and I was mainly alone. So, it was lonely, and the project reminds me of this snapshot of time because it was also something that gave me hope and fed me in different ways. I got good books like “A Gentleman in Moscow,” which I had never read before. I had hope in the community; here’s people still giving and being thoughtful, running little libraries and proud of them, all very unique like so many residents here are. It’s my snapshot of my town and those things will go on and endure through this time.
Q What’s a memorable experience you’ve had?
A On Nextdoor, someone told me where they were way up Eldridge. I knocked on the person’s door, said who I was and a woman came out as I was photographing her library. She said, “I wish I knew you were coming, I would have dusted it.” I said, “No problem, I like how they are. Some are unorganized, some are neat, some are dirty. I’m Alison,” and she said, “I’m Joan.” I asked, “Are you Joan, Joan?” All around town there were homemade signs for Joan (Hottenstein) for the school board and because I was cruising the town, I had noticed more signs than usual for the election. It was so funny, it was. She laughed and I said, “Good luck.” A woman reached out because her Girl Scouts troop is making a library, and they want to look at pictures to see all the different styles and colors. All kinds of little things happen from this one project.
Q What’s next?
A I could do little libraries of America or Larkspur, I know there’s a couple there. We will see what the interest is and if I’ll do other library series.