BERLIN – Germany
A few days ago I came across a phone booth in Berlin that was re-purposed into a mini library. It is freely accessible to anybody at any hour of the day and contains books on all imaginable topics. From asian cuisine to neurobionics – you’ll never know what might await you! The idea is that you can take a book home to read, but you should also leave one for others to find. You want a nice novel for your evening armchair session or a new bed time story for your kids? How about something to entertain you on your way to work? Chances are that you might just find what you’re looking for!
The project is based on communal trust and so far it has worked great. The library is much more than a free library. The movement of books in and out of the phone booth makes it much more exciting to visit, but it also tells a lot about your neighbours. Every book in that library was bought because somebody was interested in it. The library is a reflection of the community; a very private and intimate view into the lives of others and at the same time accessible to the public.When dropping off a book, a person might think: “This book is important to me and I want to share it with others” or “I had fun cooking Asian. Maybe someone will explore the cuisine as well”. Wouldn’t it be great if we started converting all the unused phone booths around the world into libraries? Imagine how that would change our relationship to books. Phone booth libraries have been spreading to the UK (Source) as well as the US (Source).
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