Danish parks in the summer are buzzing with life, and Munke Mose and Skovsøen, two of the largest parks in Odense, are no exception.
Photographs: Michaela Medveďová
Text: Michaela Medveďová
But for those who want to catch some rays in the company of good literature, something else popped up in the parks at the beginning of summer - Little Libraries, tiny wooden houses filled with books anyone can take out and read for free.
"The main idea behind the Little Libraries is to share literary experiences: if I read a good book, I would like to give another person the same opportunity to have this experience. This is also environmentally friendly - you can pass your books on," explains Maria Orup Kristensen, the librarian who covers the Little Library project at the Odense Library.
But while it was the library that set up the two tiny bibliothecas, the books inside the house-shaped cabinets were not old library books. Instead, they came from private donations. As a result, the small shelves offer non-academic literature ranging from novels and children's books to cooking books.
“The main idea behind the Little Libraries is to share literary experiences: if I read a good book, I would like to give another person the same opportunity to have this experience.”
The wannabe-readers are encouraged to take out one book at a time and take another after they are finished with their previous literary adventure. Those who wish to donate books can place one or two of them at a time inside the cabinet - depending on how full its shelves are.
While people are encouraged to donate books from their own collections, they are allowed to take a book from the box without returning the favour. "We, of course, hope that if they take one, they will also leave one, but they don't have to," smiles Maria.
In September, the book box in Munke Mose had to be taken down for repairs. But see if you can still catch at least one Little Library before the initiative is gone for the year!