Image Credit: Bob Dolby
I came across this on the bookcrossing forums and thought that it was just too good not to share. The good folks in the village of Westbury-sub-Mendip, near Wells, Somerset came up with a fantastic use for their decommissioned red telephone box. They turned it into the world's smallest library, a place where locals can bring along a book and swap it for another already on the shelves. What a wonderful idea - and kind of fun, given that despite the upgrades in technology the good old book is still going strong. These folks sure win my vote for Most Awesome Village.
Image credit: Bob Dolby
Oh I love the idea! Thanks for sharing - love the pictures :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Christa. I thought this one was too good to miss!
ReplyDeleteThanks for making us your Most Awesome Village.
ReplyDeleteOne of the great things about our phone box library is that it's open 24 hours a day 365 days a year - perfect for insomniac readers!
Andrew - is this your village?! That's pretty neat! I just love this idea, it's sheer genius. Do you ever get any bookcrossing books come through there? I'd like to send you guys a book from here in Taiwan if that would be permitted? :)
ReplyDeleteYes, the phone box library is about 8m from my kitchen window. Most convenient!
ReplyDeleteWe'd love to have a book from Taiwan. Indeed a number of people including a couple of authors have already sent us books.
Afraid you need to explain bookcrossing.
Oh yes, forgot to say that it's almost a carbon neutral library - the electricity for the light at night is offset by a contribution to energy efficiency schemes in the developing world.
Won't post my mail address here, too public - e-mail me via googlemail.
Andrew,
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, I can't seem to find your email but here's mine. It's already on my blogger profile so don't mind posting it here:
kathmeista(at)gmail(dot)com
Will explain bookcrossing in my email, I also have a post about it here: http://kathmeista.blogspot.com/2009/10/bookcrossing-makes-whole-world-library.html.
WOW! These folks have my vote for awesomest village as well! What an amazing idea! I need to go there just to check this library out!
ReplyDeleteThat's fantastic. I love that there's a line of people waiting to use it!
ReplyDeleteHi Brizmus and Lisa!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments! Brizmus, you're the closest out of all of us, I nominate you to be our book blogs ambassador to check it out! ;) hehe
Lisa, the queue was something I loved too - everyone itching to get their hands on a book. SO my kind of place!