“Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are”
Mason Cooley
Reading has many benefits, including managing anxiety, helps prevent age related cognitive decline, build vocabulary, increases your ability to empathise.
How can we make it more accessible to all?
How can we get more creative? Popup community libraries are a relatively new initiative that encourages unused spaces to be used as pop up libraries. Some ideas are old phone boxes, disused bus shelters, post boxes and bookshelves within supermarkets.
How can we take this hidden treasure and embed in it in communities all over the world?
Many cities, countries have the luxury of a library, a place they can visit, read, relax, and feel at home.
However, what pop up libraries offer is a step beyond that. They are offering the highest form of outreach.
Think of spaces you have within your disposal, how could you be part of this campaign, small steps make big changes. Do you have anything in your street or local park that could be transformed.
Draw inspiration from the articles below and let’s get creative.
Phone Box Community Libraries UK and Worldwide
We love a theme! Especially one that transports us. Check out these 20 Little Free Libraries designed to look like British phone booths. Find these libraries and many more on the Little Free Library map or mobile app! Ahh, feels like we’ve taken a trip across the pond…
Bus stop community libraries to end commuters’ tedium
The Municipality of Bağcılar, Istanbul's most populated district, is offering a novel service for commuters: bus stop libraries. Bookcases placed in bus stops will have a wide selection of books for those looking to spend their leisure time while waiting for the bus.
Initially set up in 11 bus stops, the municipality plans to install libraries in others soon. A total of 20,000 books were placed in small libraries since September when they were first introduced, and they are being changed with new titles twice a week.
Commuters can either read the books at the seated bus stop or borrow it and read it somewhere else. They can return the books to another bookcase at another bus stop.
To read more please visit: https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/2014/10/17/bus-stop-libraries-to-end-commuters-tedium
Solitary Bus Shelter come library
A solitary bus shelter in Mollington has been redundant since the buses stopped passing through the village – until now.
A new initiative has created a pop-up library using the old bus stop as a reading room.
The idea is for Mums, Dads, children and passers-by to stop, rummage through the shelves and have a few quiet moments with a book.
Instigators of the scheme John, Helen and Dorothy Fielding who live in the village said that they wanted to bring a little colour into the village and its old bus stop. They said: “Mollington does lack amenities having no shop or pub so we thought a small haven of public books would help brighten up our rural scene and create the opportunity for more social interaction.”
Read the full article: Disused Mollington bus stop converted into pop-up library
Turkish garbage collectors open a community library with all of the books citizens discard in their trash
Yes, there is a library in Ankara composed entirely of books thrown out (presumably) by people who hate reading (or who work in publishing). After Turkish garbage collectors began finding more and more trashed books, they decided to start organizing them in an abandoned brick factory—and voila, a library was born.
At first, the surplus books were lent out to friends and families, but as the library gained in popularity the garbage collectors opened things up to the public, who also began to donate books. With a collection of over 6,000 books, the local municipality, Çankaya, found room in the budget for a full-time library employee, and has converted a garbage truck into a mobile library that doubles as a donations truck.
To read more, please visit: https://lithub.com/turkish-garbage-collectors-have-created-a-library-from-discarded-books.
Incredible work happening all over the world, how can we capitalise on the learning. How can we work together to create more, accessible, reading spaces? Spaces available to all.
What can we learn from these amazing community initiatives? Often, we report on what is not working, what we need to do more of and where we are falling short.
Today we celebrate what is working well, and an opportunity to invite everyone in.
“To be extraordinary you don’t have to create art, you just have to consume it.” (Susan Cain)
Let’s start consuming art!
#ArtDayEveryDay
You may enjoy reading: Save Our Libraries