Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Smallest Library in the U.K.

I once had a Red Telephone Box like the one pictured here. It was on the second floor landing of my Victorian in Berkeley. Not 'of the Victorian style' certainly, but I thought it was great. Even though I had bookshelves everywhere in that house, I used the phone booth for a phone! What a thought. Yes, Virginia, we actually had wired phones in those days. I loved my telephone box, but it and I went our separate ways. Had I but known.. or had I but thought... I would have lined it with bookshelves. You can never have enough.

So found this story particularly relevant. The Westbury Book Exchange, came into being in the U.K. It is a decommissioned BT phone kiosk in The Square in the village of Westbury-sub-Mendip, now a free book service. One brings pre-read books, leaves them on the shelves, and takes any other book(s) that appeals. Service is free and the kiosk is open 168 hours a week.

How cool is that!

Hat tip to Noemi Levine.

1 comment:

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

What a great idea! I love it...and love those old British phone booths. :)

Elizabeth/Riley
Mystery Writing is Murder