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I Created A Mini-Library For My Neighbours To Promote Reading And Make Friends
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I Created A Mini-Library For My Neighbours To Promote Reading And Make Friends

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It was the beginning of 2015 and I had been living in my apartment for a year and a half. I live in a 10-floor building, with 40 apartments and I didn’t get to meet more than 4 or 5 of my neighbours. I decided that I had to do something about it, so I started the neighbours’ library.

I took 40 books from my own library and put them on the mail boxes. I put a sign saying “The neighbours’ library – take a book and leave another in exchange”. Also, I made a list of the books I was only willing to lend. Those were books that I I didn’t want to lose, but I was OK with lending them.

My neighbours liked the idea very much and some of them also donated books. Other people started to make their own neighbours’ libraries in other parts of Cluj-Napoca and even in other cities in Romania. Thanks to Bookface, our campaign that promotes reading, we also made free little libraries in a park. It is a simple idea and everybody can start a similar library!

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    Living in a 40-apartment building, I barely knew my neighbours, so I started the neighbours’ library

    I took 40 books from my own library, one for each apartment, and put them on the mail boxes

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    I also put a sign saying “The neighbours’ library – take a book and leave another in exchange”

    I offered books that I liked because I believe that the books we read tell more about us than the clothes we wear or the cars we drive

    My neighbours liked the idea very much and some of them also donated books

    Other people started to make their own neighbours’ libraries in other parts of Cluj-Napoca and even in other cities in Romania

    We are so used to borrowing a cup of sugar from our neighbours, why not borrow some books instead?

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    Victor Miron

    Victor Miron

    Author, Community member

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    Young writer, old reader

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    Victor Miron

    Victor Miron

    Author, Community member

    Young writer, old reader

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    MariusJan
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We have simmilar thing in Vilnius, Lithuania. There are little houses on poles with books in them around the city. They're called "A little library". Everyone can take or leave a book there, not only neighbours.

    RoseanneJames
    Community Member
    9 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Absolutely brilliant idea...! I'm a book addict & a tendency to be reclusive so I can certainly empathise with this. I don't mind losing books that are fiction or that are biographical but my other rather 'out there' books (spiritual, angels, conspiracy, UFO's & aliens lol) I put my name in as I don't want to lose them...! I LOVE a good book far more than the TV which I've given up watching. /-/////-///-// (that's my library :)

    AgnisSaffron
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is amazing , I am an passionate reader . I leave in my university dorm . I will do this

    Xenthia
    Community Member
    9 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What a lovely idea. Wish people did this everywhere. Except in my country the books would get stolen for sure. :-/

    ClaireMilner
    Community Member
    9 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Some of the homes in my California neighborhood have little library boxes near the curb---I absolutely love this idea!

    Sonia.Alexandra
    Community Member
    9 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Awesome idea! :) Stau in Cluj-Napoca, dar (inca) nu am vazut "Biblioteca vecinilor".

    MariusJan
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We have simmilar thing in Vilnius, Lithuania. There are little houses on poles with books in them around the city. They're called "A little library". Everyone can take or leave a book there, not only neighbours.

    RoseanneJames
    Community Member
    9 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Absolutely brilliant idea...! I'm a book addict & a tendency to be reclusive so I can certainly empathise with this. I don't mind losing books that are fiction or that are biographical but my other rather 'out there' books (spiritual, angels, conspiracy, UFO's & aliens lol) I put my name in as I don't want to lose them...! I LOVE a good book far more than the TV which I've given up watching. /-/////-///-// (that's my library :)

    AgnisSaffron
    Community Member
    8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is amazing , I am an passionate reader . I leave in my university dorm . I will do this

    Xenthia
    Community Member
    9 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What a lovely idea. Wish people did this everywhere. Except in my country the books would get stolen for sure. :-/

    ClaireMilner
    Community Member
    9 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Some of the homes in my California neighborhood have little library boxes near the curb---I absolutely love this idea!

    Sonia.Alexandra
    Community Member
    9 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Awesome idea! :) Stau in Cluj-Napoca, dar (inca) nu am vazut "Biblioteca vecinilor".

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