Angelika Around the corner from us on Chattanooga Street, there is a little wooden box in front of a house that looks like a birdhouse. However, it's not birds that are nourished here in the winter, but rather book-hungry neighbors, as it is a public book exchange.
If you don't want to throw a just finished book into the recycling bin or let it gather dust on the bookshelf, you can place it in the box, and a like-minded reader will take it home later. Everyone is allowed to place and take books for free. Naively, I thought that one of our neighbors had a particularly charming idea, until I found out during my research on the internet that these public bookcases now exist in many countries, including in Germany.
It seems I missed the trend. In the USA, Todd Bol from Hudson, Wisconsin, started the movement. He set up the first little free library in his front yard in 2009. In the meantime, he has established a non-profit organization with the name Little Free Library. The association's website indicates where public bookcases are located in various countries and cities, provided that the owners of the bookcases have registered them. Those who are not handy can also order ready-made book boxes through the association.
Lately, Michael and I have been frequently placing German books and DVDs in the little free library on Chattamooga Street, which always leads to a few days full of suspense: Who will take pity on the German books? Michael would, of course, love to install a camera to see who takes our German literature. Our DVD series "München 7" sat in the little library for a long time, but one day it was gone, and we started speculating again. In any case, these public book boxes are a great idea!