The mystery carpenter who is building a new Little Library atop the electrical box at Bardwell and South streets pleads for patience. Meanwhile, readers have taken the situation into their own hands by putting up a series of soon-to-get-soggy cardboard boxes at the give-a-book, take-a-book spot.
In May, the JP Little Library went missing or was damaged. Residents mourned the passing of the quirky neighborhood feature. A JP man who hammers and nails for justice under the name “Karma Carpenter” promised the neighborhood a new one.
As often happens with building projects, there have been unanticipated delays, the Karma Carpenter told Jamaica Plain News in a Friday phone conversation.
“I know it’s long overdue,” he said, explaining that he’d been busy dealing with the city bureaucracy over his backyard chickens, one of whom died.
The Karma Carpenter said he could be done as early as next week. Though he admits carpenters always say that.
As for his true identity, the Karma Carpenter prefers not to give his real name.
“I’m kind of like the Batman of carpenters,” he said.
He encouraged people to put up their own tiny libraries.
“Pick an electrical box and build one,” he said.
One Forest Hills couple recently did just that, erecting a nice lending library at 80 Wenham St. For details, ask to join the Forest Hills Facebook group.
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In May, the Karma Carpenter put a note scribbled on scrap wood saying, “New library in construction.” Several residents have scrawled messages of encouragement on the piece of wood from “Woo hoo!” to “Thanks, Tiny Library. We missed you.”
Universal Hub has a lively discussion of the Little Library, which as of Friday morning was composed of soggy liquor boxes.
The Little Library on South Street is just one of at least four micro-libraries in the neighborhood. In addition to the new one in Forest Hills, there’s the Tiny Library in Hyde/Jackson on Chestnut Avenue near Paul Gore Street and a classy glass-fronted one at the St. Rose Street Community Garden.
