Takoma Park Installs Little Free Snow Shovel Libraries to Express Compassion for Thieves

TAKOMA PARK, MD – In an effort to offer restorative justice after multiple reports of snow shovels being stolen from front porches, city officials announced plans to install Little Free Snow Shovel Libraries throughout town, allowing residents to take permanently rehome snow shovels with no questions asked.

The initiative, approved unanimously after a 47-minute discussion about whether “theft” is an outdated concept, is intended to reduce shovel-related theft misunderstandings by removing ownership from the equation entirely. Each library will feature a cheerful sign reading “Take a Shovel, Leave Your Shame,” along with a QR code linking to a city webpage explaining how snow shovels have historically been used as instruments of exclusion.

“We don’t want to criminalize or shame survival,” said the City Manager at a ribbon-cutting of the nation’s first Little Free Snow Shovel Library, filled with commercial grade, FSC-certified, ergonomic snow shovels. “If someone takes your shovel, that’s not a crime. It’s a conversation. Preferably one you have with yourself about abundance.”

Residents were assured the program would not increase shovel theft redistribution, because, under the new framework, theft borrowing will no longer exist. Instead, the city will track “unplanned shovel redistribution events,” data from which will be used to apply for a grant to study why residents keep buying shovels when they clearly don’t believe in owning things.

To address concerns, the city will also roll out a companion workshop series titled “Plow Your Feelings: Centering the Borrower,” teaching homeowners how to process the grief of discovering your neighbor’s driveway cleared with your equipment.

At press time, officials confirmed that locks on the libraries would be considered “oppressive,” and that residents upset about losing reallocating shovels could apply for a free city-issued rake, pending a six-week equity review.