Community pantries and libraries are on the rise

In a financially tight and fragmented era, sharing books and food via Little Libraries and Pātaka Kai (food pantries) is on the rise, says The Spinoff. Little Libraries (also called book fridges or pop-up libraries), are tiny libraries installed outside houses or in communal areas like parks – a delightful way for members of the public to exchange and recycle old books and magazines. Meanwhile, Pātaka Kaithese are a network of 242 community pantries across the country that work on a philosophy of “take what you need, give what you can”.