Set up shelves 

Would you like to make happen Free Shelves near you?

Our goal is to have at least six Free Shelves in Arlington by the end of 2023, ideally distributed in different neighborhoods across town. 
Help this community-building way to support a culture of re-use instead of waste.

Getting started 

• Find a good location.  If your yard or driveway abuts a well-used sidewalk, give it a try.  See what other locations near-by seem good.  It could be a local business or a neighbor.  Talk to the people who own or manage it and find out if they might be open to trying out the Free Shelves--knowing that you will have a team actively taking care of them and that they can change their minds later if it's not working.

• Invite someone else to host.  If you can't host shelves yourself, then look for a good spot in your neighborhood: a place where lots of people regularly pass by, and where it would be easy for people to bring items and to look through the shelves without getting in people’s way. Could your friend's yard work?  Your neighbor's? A nearby church? Invite them to try hosting some shelves. Two examples: The Free Shelves pictured above, on Linwood St., are currently hosted by Calvary Church, on a low wall outside their building.  The wall abuts a sidewalk where lots of people walk to and from Spy Pond Park. The shelves are used by the whole neighborhood as well as the church members.  Just down the street is a much smaller set of Free Shelves, simply hosted by one household on their front yard.

Setting up

• Set up some shelves simply.  You can always start small.  Put out a small shelf unit, post a sign, recruit a friend or two to help keep the area orderly, and see what happens.  

• Choose shelves.  Many different sizes and types of shelving can work, depending upon the location and the caretaking energy.  For instance, Linwood St. hosts two different Free Shelves, one that is made of ten, 12” square wire boxes fastened together that holds items of all sizes, and one called "The Teeny Tiny Sharing Shelf" that is a wooden bookcase, just one foot high and two feet long, with two little shelves.  Be aware that the larger the shelves, the more energy it might take to keep them orderly.

• Decide.  What kinds of items do you want to allow or not allow?  Who is empowered to solve problems or make decisions about the shelves? 

• Put up simple signs.   Feel free to copy these signs: basic sign or teeny shelves sign.  This might be useful too: alternative places to give away things that are sometimes more appropriate than Free Shelves).  Please edit them however you wish and post them on your shelves.

• Recruit helpers.  Pull together a small group of volunteers– we like to call them “elves”--who will help keep the shelves orderly and regularly remove any trash. See more details on the "assist shelves" page.

• Spread the word.  In addition to telling your friends and neighbors, also post on social media.  When you give us the location and a photo of your Free Shelves we will add them to the Google map.

Questions?  Challenges?  We're glad to help.  Please be in touch.