Today marks the 15th World Book Day, a celebration of authors, illustrators, books and – most importantly – a celebration of reading! In honor of the global event, let's take a look at some unique and unconventional libraries around the world!
Some people get their books from ...
The back of a donkey - Colombia
Photo via Book Riot.
Since 1990, teacher-turned-mobile-librarian Luis Soriano has been bringing books to thousands of children in rural Colombia – all from the back of a donkey. The "biblioburro" provides poor children with more access to books, and thus an opportunity for better education. Soriano has perhaps seen the biggest honor he could have received: a children's book written about him and his burros, called Waiting for the Bibioburro, by Monica Brown and John Parra. Proceeds of the book sales help benefit Soriano's work.
On top of an elephant - Laos
Photo via Lao American Magazine.
In an effort raise public awareness about endangered Asian elephants and promote literacy in rural communities in Laos, an organization called Room to Read teamed up with local government and two other NGOs (Action with Lao Children and ElefantAsia) to create an elephant mobile library. Stocked with 640 Lao-language children’s books – many of which feature elephants – and supplementary educational materials, the library’s maiden voyage included four primary schools that serve more than 1,000 students in the northern province of Xaybouly, according to Lao American Magazine.
The hump of a camel - Kenya
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Photos via BBC News.
The camel library service is an innovative initiative led by the Kenya National Library Service that has received a lot of praise for its effort in promoting literacy and reading in North Eastern Kenya. According to KNLS, "the use of camels as a transport means to carry books to the nomadic communities started in 1985 and has gained a lot of interest in the community. The mobile camel library is a common feature at semi-permanent homesteads and the sparse grazing lands."
Inside a phone booth - England
Photo via BBC News.
Villagers from Westbury-sub-Mendip in Somerset, England have 24-hour access to their neighborhood library, found in an iconic red phone booth, or as the British say, a "phone box." The little library offers 100 books in addition to DVDs and and CDs.
On a ship - Norway
Photos via Thor News. Norway is a country known for its mountains and fjords, making transportation a bit tricky for some people to make it to a stationary library. But there is no lack of coastline in the Scandinavian country, making the open sea a Norwegian bookworm's best friend.
Behold Epos, the book boat! The floating library contains more than 4,000 books and audiobooks and is a great way to reach some of the country's western communities that lack their own libraries. Epos is an extremely popular mobile library, especially for children.
Behold Epos, the book boat! The floating library contains more than 4,000 books and audiobooks and is a great way to reach some of the country's western communities that lack their own libraries. Epos is an extremely popular mobile library, especially for children.
But it's not like the United States is a stranger to unconventional libraries. From vending machines to wheelbarrows, Americans get their books in pretty unique ways too – and we have for a long time. Check out some of these old photos of unorthodox libraries from the USA's past!
A booketeria in a Nashville, Tenn. supermarket. Photo via the Nashville Public Library.
Packhorse librarians pose in Hindman, Ky. Photo via the University of Kentucky's Goodman-Paxton Photographic Collection.
A Works Progress Administration Bookmobile visits Bayou De Large, La. Photo via the New Deal Network.
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