the first little free library was built in 2009 in hudson, wisconsin. it was built by todd bol. bol put a wooden container on a post on his lawn and filled it with books. it was designed to look like a one-room schoolhouse. the library was to honor his mother. his mother was a school teacher who had recently died and she loved books. bol and his partner built and installed more of the libraries in different areas of the midwestern united states.