Category Archives: More Connections

Pop’s Top 10: Quirky Little Free Libraries

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From Little Free Library, image credit Jane Green

We absolutely love the Little Free Library initiative (check out one of our local ones here!). And there is no shortage of beautiful, whimsical, and downright jaw-dropping little libraries stocked with free books to share. But today, we’re focusing on the slightly weirder (but no less awesome) ones. Whether it’s cleverly repurposed, brazenly thematic, or the very last thing you would expect, here are Pop’s Top 10, in no uncertain order!

#1 SPIN CYCLE

#2 KING OF THE LIBRARY MONSTERS

#3 MICROWAVERY

#4 BEAM ME UP

#5 TINTIN

#6 STYLISH CACTUS

#7 FAMOUSLY GROUCHY

#8 WATER TANK WEIRDNESS

#9 THIS IS THE DROID YOU’RE LOOKING FOR

From Shareable. Built by students in the Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering (TAME).

#10 NOT DOCTOR SEUSS

Dapper Dogs

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Our newest set of Coloring Cotsen pages is out, and features some of the best dressed dogs in our special collections vaults!

Katie’s selections are from Affen- und Hunde-Komödie by Eduard Ille (Monkey and Dog Comedy, translated from German). Eduard Ille (1823-1900) is a German writer and artist who contributed dozens of stories and illustrations to various German broadsides and humor publications. His work often described Munich’s bustling festival and social scene through caricature and literary drawings. He also wrote epic lyrical poems and light plays. Most notably, Ille was involved with painting images from the songs of Walther von der Vogelweide in the dressing room inside the famous Neuschwanstein Castle.

READY TO COLOR? FOLLOW THIS LINK!

Decalcomania: October 2026

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It’s time for more Decalcomania, this time with a spooky October twist, courtesy of Special Collections at Princeton University Library!

We’ll begin with the charming card-playing skeletons you see above. While these bony boys came from a later reproduction, the original artwork, created by out-of-work artist W.F.E. Liardet, was drawn on a Chiswick wall around 1830. This gang is one of 6 vignettes depicting revived recreational activities, including billiards, drafts, cards, dice, toss, and pitch. (GA 2011.00964, Graphic Arts).

This bat doodle, pulled from the journal of John Knowles Lund, surgeon of the British steamer S.S. Cametense, kept as he traveled from Liverpool, England, to Brazil and back in 1902. On December 4th, the bosun brought Lund a vampire bat he found, which he then exterminated with chloroform. (General Manuscripts Miscellaneous Collection, C0140).

Finally this demon, found by library staff member Fabi Garcia, from an 1803 caricature etching entitled “The Funeral Procession of Buonaparte!!” The procession is led by the devil and his fleet of demons, followed by monkey pallbearers, and the Death and the Commander of the Consular Guard as chief mourners. The merry mourners include Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Spain, and the Pope, among others. (GA 2011.01416, Graphic Arts).

Many thanks to Adrienne Rusinko, Casey Reca, and Fabi Garcia for selecting, researching, and sharing these images from special collections!