Library at the bus stop. Books to go: what street libraries look like around the world. Library in a phone booth

Very soon in St. Petersburg, anyone will be able to pick up a book to read right on the street, and absolutely free of charge. Special shelving will appear at public transport stops and in the metro as part of the new Open Library project. Experts are sounding the alarm: in recent years, interest in libraries has fallen sharply, and according to the most pessimistic forecasts, they may completely disappear in the coming years.

The Open Library project should bring Russians back to libraries. Just not those where you need a library card, and then the book must be returned on time. After reading it, you can simply leave it on any of the city shelves. True, whether the residents of the Northern capital will be so conscientious is their personal decision.

According to the Russian statistical yearbook, if 10 years ago there were more than 50 thousand libraries in Russia, then in 2010 there were about 46 thousand, and every year this figure continues to decrease. On average, more than 400 libraries close across the country each year. Of course, most of them are located in regions where there is often simply not enough money to maintain them.

In large cities, almost everyone has a main “competitor” to libraries. Today, anyone can find the literature they need on the Internet. And they often do it for free, completely forgetting about the existence of copyrights. And many resources actively contribute to this by making books freely available. But even if you go the legal route, purchasing an e-book is much cheaper than a printed one. And with the widespread use of all kinds of gadgets, the owners of online libraries are confident that the future lies with e-books.

One of the first founders of such a book depository, Maxim Moshkov, has repeatedly expressed the opinion that in 15 years paper books may disappear altogether. The trend is already noticeable, especially given the fact that many libraries are actively mastering digitization technology. And it’s no secret that maintaining electronic book depositories costs the state much less.

The philologist and public figure, general director of the All-Russian State Library of Foreign Literature named after. M.I. Rudomino Ekaterina Genieva. According to her, the Internet still will not give a person the same thing as a regular library. “As a repository of information, the library is really becoming a thing of the past, but serious conferences, seminars, and meetings with writers are still organized there. Libraries will survive if they are restructured into certain entities that are able to respond to the trends of the times - say, into discussion forums or cultural centers."

And yet the electronic boom has still not reached the provinces as much as it has reached large cities. So there is still a shortage of books in the villages, and funding for libraries still leaves much to be desired.

In Soviet times, all publishing houses were obliged to distribute part of their circulation to libraries, but already in the 1990s the situation changed. And although the number of books produced has increased noticeably, libraries cannot afford to regularly update their stocks - government subsidies are enough for an average of 10 books a year. So it turns out that many rural libraries are stocked mainly with publications published before 1990. And since the federal law “On the general principles of organizing local self-government in the Russian Federation” was adopted, it has only gotten worse. The law divided powers in relation to cultural institutions between federal and municipal authorities. There are only nine libraries left under federal jurisdiction: eight in Moscow and one in St. Petersburg. As a result, libraries are under threat of closure in the poorest corners of the country, where local authorities simply do not have the money to maintain them.

Mini reading rooms in public places should appear in September. The first open-air shelves will be installed in parks, metro stations and public transport stops.

The city will have open bookshelves at public transport stops and in the metro. This is one of four new projects within the framework of the "" initiative.

Outdoor reading rooms will appear in the city in September - while the project is being approved in Smolny. Bookshelves will open in many city parks, as well as at public transport stops and in the metro. The principle of their operation is the same as in open-air summer libraries on and in "". You can take a book from a shelf without a library card, subscription or passport, read it and put it on the same shelf in any other part of the city. The open library fund will include publications donated by city reading rooms and the citizens themselves.

The Open Library project has existed in the city for almost two years, but has only now received the support of the authorities. Its main goal is to change the image of libraries and turn them from formal institutions into pleasant and popular places to visit. Not only the most popular “Mayakovka” and “Lermontovka”, but also all other city reading rooms - from the Russian Academy of Sciences to small regional libraries - have already actively participated in the project. They will continue to host meetings with public figures and district executive authorities, as well as lectures, master classes and events for visitors of all ages. For example, this season many famous people will speak in city libraries, including Marat Gelman, Philip Dzyadko, Tatyana Tolstaya, Boris Grebenshchikov, Andrey Loshak, Kirill Serebrennikov and other media figures.



A public library and bookstore in the Belgian Vineyard appeared as part of the TRACK art festival. It was invented by the Italian artist Massimo Bartolini.
Public bookcase on a street in the German city of Karlsruhe
Public bookcase in Hannover, Germany
A former telephone booth converted into a public bookcase in the German town of Itzehoe
Mobile public bookcase in Cologne. To prevent vandalism, the closet is placed indoors at night.
Public bookcase in Vienna
The first public bookcase in Basel. The inscriptions “Books” in several languages, including Russian, are visible on the glass.

The project has its own solutions for small regional libraries - the “Open Power” program is being implemented here. The sites will host meetings between readers and representatives of local administration: from local police officers to officials. This will make the library a platform for open discussions about local issues.

Foreign experience

Open bookshelves in public spaces first appeared in the early 90s. Then in the Austrian city of Graz, and then in the German Hamburg and Mainz, they were installed as installations by the duo of photographers Clegg and Gutman. Inspired by their example, German student Nicholas Müller installed shelves in his hometown of Darnmash and then Hannover. Thanks to the popularity of bookcrossing ideas in Germany, public bookcases began to open throughout the country. You can also find a large number of shelves with free books in Austria and Switzerland.

Nikolay Solodnikov

Co-organizer of the Open Library

The outdoor library is the largest, most real and visible of our projects. This is truly a change in the urban environment. Within a few months, shelves will appear at public transport stops and in the metro.

In September there will be a round table with the participation of business, authorities, and the library community, at which we will discuss these projects. The city will simply not be able to handle the same libraries at bus stops alone. We hope for business to participate because it benefits them. If a business calls itself a serious business, then it is socially responsible. And participation in our project is a completely reputational story. And they will be interested in it. People will see that these companies work for them, for the city.


In Kuala Lumpur, people waiting for public transport at bus stops are offered wrapping material attached to special boards. Apparently, Mexico is much more developed intellectually than Malaysia. After all, the project was developed here stops Magazine Kiosk, being street libraries.


Time passes very slowly in queues and at stops. And if you waited ten minutes in them, then it seems to you as if a whole hour has passed. You can deal with this in different ways. But the best way, proven over decades, is regular reading. Designer Paty Avelar, who created a project called Magazine Kiosk for the city of Mexico, suggests reading magazines at bus stops.



Of course, the idea of ​​passing time with free magazines is not new. It is quite successfully used in many institutions and establishments, for example, in hairdressing salons, in hotel lobbies, and in reception areas. But Paty Avelar is bringing this phenomenon to a truly wide audience.

The Magazine Kiosk concept proposes the creation of structures that are not much different from ordinary stops. The only thing that sets them apart from millions of similar ones around the world is the presence of bookshelves on which fresh newspapers and magazines will appear every day.

So any person waiting here for public transport can simply take some publication completely free of charge and read it until the bus arrives. And, in order not to rely on the honesty of citizens, Pati Avelar suggests attaching a special beacon to each magazine, like those that are glued to books in modern bookstores. So, when someone wants to take the publication outside the stop, a special detector will work. Of course, no one will chase the thief, but at least he will be ashamed.



However, it seems to us that we can do without this protection system. It is enough just to place at such library stops old issues of magazines and newspapers, which have already been written off by the owners of newsstands, and are therefore free for both readers and city authorities.

On September 30 we celebrate All-Ukrainian Library Day. Especially for this day, I have prepared for you a list of the most original, most fashionable and most unusual libraries.

Modern libraries of the world


The library is a center of communication

Not long ago, a fantastic building appeared in the capital of Sweden - two inverted glass cones covered with a slab. The new library turned out to be more than just a place for those who like to read. Public events and even concerts are also held here.

Library from space

The Italian city of Perugia boasts a real UFO. It was in this form that the architects decided to build the new library.

Shelf with books

You look at the building and it’s immediately clear what’s inside. These words refer to a public library in Kansas, USA. From the outside, the library looks like a huge shelf of books.

Alexandrian sun

Remember the famous Library of Alexandria, where thousands of books from ancient civilizations were collected? The modern library was built exactly on the site of its predecessor. The building simply amazes with its architectural design - a solar disk rises in the middle of a huge pool. This form was not chosen by chance - it symbolizes the rising of the Sun of Knowledge.

Wigwam Library

This unusual library is located in the Netherlands. The strange thing is that the roof of the building is covered with grass, and a huge “wigwam” rises in the center.

National Library of Belarus

The majestic building is located at the entrance to Minsk and is a twenty-story rhombicuboctahedron (that's the name!). From dark until midnight, the library is illuminated and changes every second. Looks really impressive.

Library in Stuttgart

The first thing that catches your eye when you visit a library in Stuttgart is... books. It’s not surprising, you say, but this was exactly the designer’s idea. The room is almost completely painted white: walls, ceiling, shelves. This helps visitors focus only on the books.

Peckham Library

The library of the British city of Peckham is shaped like an inverted Latin letter “L” and looks very unusual. Today the library is considered one of the most visited in the world.

Princeton University Library

In 2008, Princeton University in the USA opened the doors of a new library to students and teachers. This extraordinary project was carried out by the world famous architect Frank Gary. He tried to design the building to inspire visitors to new discoveries in science.

Ecological library in Germany

Perhaps the most environmentally friendly library in the world. In 2011, the University of Duisburg-Essen opened a “circular library”. You already guessed that the shape of the building resembles a huge sphere, which sets it apart from other libraries. But this is not the only thing that makes the library so popular. During the construction of the building, elements of eco-architecture were used: energy-saving technologies, solar panels and a water purification system.

Seattle Public Library

The eleven-story glass house is simply amazing in its size and appearance. Up to 2 million book lovers visit this library every year.

Library Resort

Those who like to read on vacation will love the library resort in Thailand. Near the large swimming pool there is not a restaurant or some kind of entertainment center, but... a real library building. Just imagine how nice it is to lie on a sun lounger under a bright umbrella and read your favorite book - beauty!

Casa Kike - writer's library

The library of the famous writer Keith Botsford has 17,000 books. Of course, such a number of books requires a large room. That's what the writer's son thought and built such a masterpiece.

Library on the Rock

Build a library on a rock outside the city - why not? Among the jungles of Colombia in the town of Medellin there is a library that from a distance resembles an abandoned place of an ancient civilization. However, despite this, the library is wildly popular not only among local residents, but also among tourists.

Endless tower in the library

The National Library of Prague has a book tower. There are mirrors in the floor and ceiling of the tower that create an infinity effect. The same effect was used in other halls of the library. You walk into a room and don’t understand where is up and where is down;)

Mini libraries


Library at the bus stop

What to do on long subway trips? Of course, by reading. That is why the residents of York, in the UK, opened a real library at one of the metro stops. Underground book lovers liked this gift.

Library bus

A new life for an old bus begins in the Bulgarian town of Plovdiv. Anyone can get on the bus and read a book for free, and also brew delicious coffee or tea in the small kitchen right on the bus.

Library in a cafe

This is not a new thing for a long time, but even today such libraries are simply wildly popular. Here, for example, is one of the cafe-libraries in Manhattan.

Library in a phone booth

The UK's iconic red telephone boxes are falling out of favor. In order not to send them for recycling, the British came up with the idea of ​​making mini-libraries out of them. Such libraries operate around the clock and contain a wide variety of literature: children's, historical, works of art and cookery books - for every taste!

Library on the beach

There is a library near the pool, then why not on the beach? In Portugal, such beach libraries have become quite popular. And recently such a library appeared in .

Of course, this is not a complete list of unusual libraries in the world. I only introduced you to a few. I hope I managed to interest you and prove that reading will always be in fashion;)

 

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