Author Topic: Public Bookcase and "Givebox"  (Read 2330 times)

Slowdown

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Public Bookcase and "Givebox"
« on: March 30, 2015, 08:05:43 AM »
In my town, as in many other German towns, there are several public bookcases (mostly funded by cultural associations or citizen-initiated). You can put used books into them and take out "new" ones that other people dropped there, for free.

Not long time ago something new occured: a so called "Givebox". It is a box where you can leave anything that you regard as maybe still useful for others. You can drop your gift for the public there and see if the public maybe has a nice give for you.
The first givebox in our town popped up in 2012 as a new neighbour of the already well-established bookcase. Now we have four or five.

I guess they are so very well accepted because the threshold to give or take something is extremely low. You do not have to photograph your stuff and upload an add (as a giver) and you do not have to read and write and call and go somewhere before you can pick up the stuff (as a taker).

Pictures my town's bookcase and givebox:
http://ka.stadtwiki.net/Datei:Buecherschrank_Durlach_Pfinztal-Marstallstra%C3%9Fe.jpg
http://ka.stadtwiki.net/Datei:GiveboxDurlach.jpg

Maybe a good idea for your community as well?

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: Public Bookcase and "Givebox"
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2015, 08:20:54 AM »
Such a cool idea.

Is the book one a  repurposed telephone booth?

Slowdown

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Re: Public Bookcase and "Givebox"
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2015, 08:29:23 AM »
Such a cool idea.

Is the book one a  repurposed telephone booth?

No, it's not that big.
The first bookcase I knew (about 20 years ago) was a repurposed distribution box like this:
http://blog.klausenerplatz-kiez.de/images/verteilerkastenkunst7a_112014.jpg.

But ours looks different. Don't know what it is or rather was.


gaja

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Re: Public Bookcase and "Givebox"
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2015, 08:36:23 AM »
Really cool idea, will suggest it for my local municipality! Maybe the library could be interested, they usually have to cull books regularly due to lack of space.

forummm

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Re: Public Bookcase and "Givebox"
« Reply #4 on: March 30, 2015, 08:07:57 PM »
I love it! I wish we had one here. Maybe I should start one too.

choppingwood

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Re: Public Bookcase and "Givebox"
« Reply #5 on: April 03, 2015, 09:10:28 AM »
Really cool idea, will suggest it for my local municipality! Maybe the library could be interested, they usually have to cull books regularly due to lack of space.

In the very small town I live in, the library did just that. They started out with selling books they were trying to get rid of, but also offered trade in of books you had finished with yourself. Now the trade-in shelves are well-used. The only rule is that you are not supposed to bring back a book that you got there. Other than the fact they accumulate a huge number of John Grisham novels, it is great! (I don't have anything against JG novels, but I'd like to read something else too.)

At my current contract in the city, my office has a library that has a bookcase for books and magazines too. There is no trade-in requirement, though most people do. Again, well used. I take books there that can't be re-sold. Always exciting when someone in the building decides to declutter! We have had an issue with a group of romance-readers who read enormous numbers of romance novels and trade them among themselves and then bring them to this bookcase, causing a bit of a glut. This week I took in a supply of other books -- thereby taking romance out of the library and putting a little mystery into it.

I like the Givebox idea. Our recycle centres have something like that, but you have to drive out to the landfill where it is located.
« Last Edit: April 03, 2015, 09:12:37 AM by choppingwood »