Software can sometimes be big and unwieldly. But it doesn’t have to be. Software can also be small, unimportant and ephemeral. Software can have small goals and limited use cases. It can be fun to build and deploy. There is a lot of value in building small applications for libraries. Here are some benefits:

• Building a small application requires very little time commitment. Make something over the weekend!
• Tools we build don’t have to be that complex. Do you really need a database to make that interesting project? Probably not!
• It’s easy to iterate with small applications. Not happy with your code? Rewrite the whole thing if you like.
• Small applications are a great way to show off library projects or resources. Highlight an amazing aspect of your library.