7 Unique Pop-Up Libraries That Rekindled The Reading Dreams Of Many

Reading books from a very young age helps develop the mind, communication skills, creativity and imagination. Reading opens a plethora of doors - to new things, information, hobbies and interests. But in India and many other parts of the world, reading books is a luxury, not everyone can enjoy. They can just dream about it. The concept of pop-up libraries, however, has changed that for a lot of people. In places where elaborate concrete libraries do not exist, there are those that are smaller and at times, even on wheels, that help lessen the disconnect. Following are some libraries that have brought books closer to people.

1.?Human Library In Hyderabad, You Can Borrow Humans For 30 Minutes?

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A bunch of students in Hyderabad spearheaded the Human Library movement back in 2017, hoping to bring about a change in society through community stories.?Human Library was set with the aim to challenge prejudices, and understanding our society better.?The idea of the library is for a reader, or any participant in the programme, sit down and have a conversation with a ‘human book’ or someone with a unique personal experience who is ready to have a conversation with a stranger.?In India, the first ever Human Library was conducted at the?Indian Institute of Management at Indore, and Human Library Hyderabad was the second city to open the library.

2.?When Pune Students Started The Open Library Movement

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For people who are already book worms, this is definitely good news. A group of eight students in Pune took up a unique initiative to inculcate the habit of reading by providing access to books to people 24 X 7. Students call this the 'Open Library Movement', and as part of the project, they have installed an open bookshelf that can be accessed by anyone. They set up an open library at Jeet playground in Kothrud back in 2019. Abhishek Awchar, an author and member of the Open Library Movement was quoted as saying, “Many people have offered financial aid. We do not want to involve these. We will accept books and bookshelves only. We believe that the citizens will take this cause ahead.”

?3.?30-Year-Old Woman Set Up Free Roadside 'Self-Help' Library In Rural Arunachal Pradesh

Ngurang Meena set up Arunachal Pradesh's first roadside library to encourage more young people to read. She realised that the state had a wine shop every 100 metres, but not a library in sight.

"I bought books of all kinds worth Rs 10,000 and spent another Rs 10,000 to make the wooden ‘Self-Help Library’. I have kept 70-80 books there and the rest are in my room,” said Ngurang Meena, who has been encouraging the locality’s children to spend 15-20 minutes at the library every day. “I have been asking the kids to visit the library by offering them chocolates,” Meena told?The Times of India.

She said that idea to set up a library dawned upon her when she came across a photo on Facebook, of a Mizo youth on a bike, reaching out towards a tiny box with shelves full of books.??

4.?Kolkata's Boat Library For Children

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The West Bengal Transport Corporation collaborated with a heritage book store and launched a children's library on a boat. The idea behind the boat library is that a person can read books as well as appreciate the beauty of Kolkata while cruising on the Hooghly river. "Children will have the chance to choose from a selection of 500 titles in English and Bengali on the Young Readers' Boat Library. The boat library would take people on a three-hour-long trip," an official said. The trip will begin from Millenium Park, and the boat will then travel to Belur Math jetty and return, he said. He also said there will be three trips on all weekdays.? ?

5.?Mobile Library To Deliver Books To The Less Fortunate

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Sandeep Kumar from Mohali runs a mobile library & provides books/study material to children living in slums. He realised that many students did not even have basic necessities like pencils and notebooks, and that is when he came up with the initiative of a mobile library. He provides books and other study material to the less fortunate, who do not have adequate access to the same. "I was a teacher at a school, but then I realised students don't have basic things, such as pencils & notebooks. That's when I decided to help them this way," ANI quoted him as saying.

6.? Garbage Collectors In Turkey Built A Library Out Of Abandoned Books

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Back in 2018, a bunch of garbage collectors in the Turkish capital opened a public library with books that were abandoned. These books that were destined for landfills now adorn the cabinets of a public library that will serve everyone in the town. The place was discovered by the garbage collectors on one of their excursions, when the men were collecting discarded books. They then began collecting these books for months and created quite a spur in the city with this drive. When people came to know about the cause, they began donating books directly to the team.?

7.?Man Saved 20,000 Books From The Trash And Started A Library For Underprivileged Kids

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Back in 2017, story of José Alberto Gutiérrez touched many, after he salvaged books from the trash and lent it to poorer children in his community. The garbage hauler has retrieved over 20,000 books from the trash he collects from upper class neighbourhoods in Bogotá, Colombia, and the children lovingly call him 'Lord of the Books'. "This should be in all neighbourhoods, on each corner of every neighbourhood, in all the towns, in all departments, and all the rural areas,” Gutiérrez told AP. “Books are our salvation and that is what Colombia needs.”