[MGSA-L] Swapping Bookshelf in Athens

June Samaras june.samaras at gmail.com
Fri Nov 1 09:56:08 PDT 2013


http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite4_1_22/10/2013_524361
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*Swapping Bookshelf finds a permanent home in Kolonaki*

  By Dimitris Rigopoulos

The Swapping Bookshelf is an initiative launched last year by architects
Irini-Emilia Ioannidou and Eleftherios Ambatzis as an alternative approach
to the traditional concept of public libraries.

The concept is pretty simple, though it does rely on users’ honesty: It
comprises a booth featuring shelves with transparent doors behind which the
books sit. You bring a book, print out a sticker to mark it as up for
swapping, and take another book.

It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and requires no subscription
or membership fees.

The first Swapping Bookshelf was set up at a central location in the
northern Athens suburb of Kifissia in June 2012. The next spot was the
Onassis Cultural Foundation on Syngrou Avenue, south of the center. Both
proved a hit with the public and one rather surprising thing is that
neither has been vandalized or robbed.

Now a Swapping Bookshelf has been set up permanently at Dexameni Square in
the central neighborhood of Kolonaki, unveiled on October 19 by Athens
Mayor Giorgos Kaminis.

The exterior of the Kolonaki bookshelf features digital prints of images of
old books designed by Antonis Donef, an artist represented by The Breeder
Gallery. The Kifissia and Kolonaki bookshelves were built with a donation
from construction firm Skrimizeas SA.

Overall, as the Kolonaki opening shows, the concept has been a success.

“Otherwise we wouldn’t continue,” Ambatzis told Kathimerini. “The more
people who know what an open-air swapping library is, the more libraries
are fulfilling their duty.”

-- 
June Samaras
KALAMOS BOOKS
(For Books about Greece)
2020 Old Station Rd
Streetsville,Ontario
Canada L5M 2V1
Tel : 905-542-1877
E-mail : kalamosbooks at gmail.com
www.kalamosbooks.com
http://kalamosb.alibrisstore.com/
http://www.antiqbook.com/books/bookseller.phtml/kal

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