The UK’s largest book publisher has announced plans to install dozens of mini-libraries across the country as part of its 90th birthday celebrations.
Penguin Books has announced it will install a series of book boxes, which it is calling “90 Little Book Stops”, in communities across the UK. Each box will run a “give a book, take a book” concept in order to promote community-led book sharing.
The project is part of the publisher’s ongoing 90th birthday celebrations. The initiative is designed to champion reading, make books more easily accessible and help book lovers find their next read.
The project from Penguin Books will see 90 ‘Little Book Stops’ installed across the UK, with online nominations now open to the public. The publisher teams up with US-based Little Free Library, which has installed more than 200,000 book exchange boxes around the world since 2009.
The 90 Little Book Stops will feature a bespoke Penguin design and be installed with an initial curation of children’s and adult books, specially selected to celebrate 90 years of Penguin publishing. A local steward will be appointed to maintain each Little Book Stop, which run on a ‘give a book, take a book’ concept and promote community-led book sharing.
Penguin is looking for suggestions from the public as to where the 90 Little Book Stops should be located. The company is also seeking to appoint a local steward for each stop who will be in charge of maintenance.
Applicants, be it individuals or organisations, who are interested have until 1st May to apply and suggest their location ideas.
Applicants will have to answer four key questions:
Why is book access important at this location?
How do you expect a Little Book Stop will change this community?
How will you plan to look after the Little Book Stop as a steward?
Does this Little Book Stop aim to celebrate a local individual or organisation that champions reading?
Applications are open until the 1st May and will be reviewed by a panel featuring staff from both Penguin and Little Free Library. Judges will be asked to look for applications that demonstrate the positive impact a Little Book Stop could have on the local community and why spreading the joy of reading is important to the person applying. The panel are also looking for a diversity of locations across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Last year, Penguin donated book vending machines to schools, including Linlithgow Academy, as part of the publisher’s Lit in Colour campaign.
Rebecca Sinclair, Chief Brand Officer at Penguin, said:
“Widening access to books is at the heart of Penguin’s origin story with the launch of the first ten Penguin paperbacks and shapes our mission today. Books and reading are a wonderful way to build connections and create communities and we hope that our 90 Little Book Stops will enable that in the locations lucky enough to have one. We’re excited to work with a community of stewards to connect books with readers and to champion the ongoing power of reading.”
Greig Metzger, Executive Director at Little Free Library said: “We are honoured to help celebrate Penguin’s 90th anniversary with the installation of 90 Little Book Stop boxes across the UK. We believe everyone has the right to read, and we hope these book-sharing boxes will build community, inspire readers, and expand book access where it is needed most. We look forward to welcoming these new locations to the global Little Free Library network.”
