Street Library

Being a book fanatic, I wish there was a little library like this on every street in every town in every country –a place where books can be left and picked up at random and you never know what you may find. Happily, there are more and more of these joyful communal repositories popping up, some in parks, or old telephone kiosks. I even saw one at a tram stop a couple of weeks ago. Hotels, guesthouses, hospitals and cafés have had them for ages, but wouldn’t it be great if airports or train stations had such pocket libraries scattered about. They won’t of course, because there’s no profit to be made from it and they’d prefer to have you spending money than quenching your thirst for literature, be it romantic, educational or enlightening. Here, I liked the fact that someone has stopped to peruse the books even though it’s raining. I felt an immediate sense of identity of solidarity –that person could be me! And often when we take pictures we are actually taking pictures of ourselves –not selfie-style, but expressed through what appeals and reaches out to us. Keep reading folks, and support these schemes by leaving a book or two when you come across such places. Location: Heidelberg, Germany.