A mashup of two national trends has transformed into one colorful hobby for Lacey Losh.
A digital prepress specialist with Print Services at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Losh self-published in November an adult coloring book featuring 50 Free Tiny Libraries from around the world. She has since grown the project into a website, an online store and is developing a second adult coloring book — this one featuring tiny things in everyday life.
Inspiration to craft a coloring book struck last spring after Losh organized a successful community-coloring event at Lincoln’s Common Root Mutual Aid Center.
“It was amazing to see so many people show up just to color,” Losh said. “The success of that event really got my gears turning and I decided that maybe I should do my own design project and publish a coloring book.”
In developing the theme, Losh opted to tap into her passion for being a steward of a Free Tiny Library — something she has done since 2012 after family built and gave her one of the miniature, curbside book stands.
“It made perfect sense to use my graphic design skills to combine the trends of Little Free Libraries and adult coloring books,” Losh said. “I first expressed the idea to my parents on Father’s Day last year. They told me that I had to make it happen.”
She launched the project in July 2015 with a crowd-funding campaign and set a publication deadline of November, hoping to make the book available for Christmas purchases. She also reached out to the international Little Free Library community, asking for fellow stewards to submit library photos for possible inclusion in the project.
“The response was tremendous,” Losh said. “We had to turn a few away, but ended up with 50 libraries from six continents and 13 countries.”
Those final 50 include the Lincoln-based libraries of Losh and her parents, as well as one in Australia, which was at the time the southernmost Little Free Library in the world. And opposite each coloring page is a brief description, written by each library’s owner, outlining just why that library is special.
“I just wanted to give other stewards the chance to let the world know about their library,” Losh said.
With the book published, Losh has continued to promote it through a variety of coloring events at area bookstores. Her next one is 5 to 7 p.m. April 7 at the University Bookstore in the Nebraska Union.
And, the book has led to other opportunities as Losh has started work on a “Tiny Living Coloring Book” and recently received a commission to craft a coloring page for a Carnegie Library in Patchogue, New York.
“It’s kind of surprising, but this coloring book has opened up a whole new world to me,” Losh said. “I’m excited to see what other opportunities it generates. But I’m more excited about the chance to sit down with people and color.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — “One of U” is an ongoing series featuring stories about the lives of faculty, staff and students at UNL. Submit story ideas to tfedderson@unl.edu or 402-472-8515.
