PRESTON — Take a book. Leave a book. Or stop by the nook next door for a plant instead.

That's the idea behind the little free library nooks now sitting on 2800 South in Preston, the work of Nicole Seamons, who had wanted one of her own for years after seeing similar setups while living in Twin Falls and Idaho Falls. Her husband built them for her earlier this year.

"It's always been something that I've been interested in because I love reading," Seamons said.

She wasn't chasing a trend. She'd simply already read the books stacked on her own shelves and figured someone else should get the chance, rather than letting them collect dust.

Self-serve setups like Seamons' are a familiar sight around different communities in Idaho, where residents have long put out stands for fresh eggs or homemade baked goods on the honor system.

A library nook, though, is a rarer version of the same idea, swapping produce and treats for something to read.

The nooks sit at 2323 E. 2800 South. Books move freely in one — take one, leave one, or both. The other holds plant propagations during cooler months, some rooted, some still growing in water, cuttings Seamons has nursed along herself. The summer heat has put that one on pause for now.

Seamons wasn't sure anyone would notice at first.

"I was a little scared that I was going to start it and no one was going to come," Seamons said.

They noticed. Trinkets, handwritten notes and books started showing up alongside the ones she'd stocked. One family returned three separate times, leaving small trinkets from their kids on each visit, a detail that stuck with Seamons.

"I felt like that was cool that they came back multiple times and that her kids had came," Seamons said.

Restocking has become a community effort rather than a solo one. Seamons started with books pulled from thrift store shelves and her own collection; neighbors have kept both nooks filled since, including a steady supply of children's books that keeps turning over as fast as it arrives.

She hasn't decided what comes next, only that something will.

"I think it would be fun to keep doing little things that are a little bit different," Seamons said.

Her pitch to anyone driving by on 2800 South is simple.

"If you love books and you know you want to share the love, go ahead," Seamons said.