The smallest French village has a box you can leave or borrow books from. Some along cycle tracks so you can pause, select and sit and read on a nearby bench. Such a civilised place.
There are a couple of equivelents I have bumped into in London - both in railway waiting rooms - including Penge East. Sydenham doesn't have a waiting room but that shouldn't prevent us having a box on the wall there or nearby to entice the morning or evening commuters to enjoy a book on their journey.
Yes, we do give some of our surplus to Charity shops but the box idea does make literature more widely accessible given that our library is at the other end of Sydenham for many of us.
Is this a good idea or has someone beaten me to it?
I've lived in France for a couple years and rarely ran into one of these; but then, I was in one of the poorest parts of the country, where people have don't have the financial means (and, unfortunately, the education) one would need to find appealing the idea of a book sharing box.
But then, that isn't the main topic of the discussion: I'm 150% for these, as it gives you the opportunity to discover stories, authors and styles you wouldn't have chosen by yourself in a book store. I'll try to add some books both in English and in other languages, as to help learners and give expats a little taste from home.
Wasn't something like a book box stand mooted for Mayo Park a while back? That would have needed a physical shed or stand though.
What are you thinking would house books on the station? I assume it'd need Rail permission and maybe a watchman in case vandals decided to throw books onto the track (H&S stuff).
I'm all in favour in principle, just not sure of the logistics.
mosy wrote: ↑29 Jan 2019 01:05What are you thinking would house books on the station? I assume it'd need Rail permission and maybe a watchman in case vandals decided to throw books onto the track (H&S stuff).
Not a problem at Penge East (SouthEastern) or Riddlesdown (Southern). Plus these, unlike Sydenham, are open stations meaning anybody has completely free access.
Both have waiting rooms which means you only need a bookshelf. Sydenham doesn't, so like the image above would require a weatherproof box. Location, I doubt if there is room on the up platform but shouldn't be an issue on the down platform.
All it needs is a sponsoring body and enthusiasm to push it through. In days of old our local Rotary Club might have done it. Sadly we are lacking in local service organisations so I guess the obvious candidate nowadays is SydSoc.
I know their members do read this. Any of them want to take it up with their Exec?
Stuart
PS Or even FHSoc at their station if they want to get one over Syd
I was visiting a friend in Durban road, Beckenham and saw that a house had one of these on the pavement side of the front garden, presumably run by the house owner. Thought it a wonderful idea. So they don't have to be in stations. In fact, my local station, Kent House, had a book shelf like this in the ticket office (there is no waiting room, like Sydenham). Then sadly there was a flood in the ticket office and it has been locked since.
]