Book Sharing Box – Exchanging Knowledge, Swapping Happiness

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Since the coronavirus crisis in early 2020, Thai people were introduced to the concept of ‘ตู้ปันสุข’ (Too-pan-souk) or ‘happiness sharing pantry’ in a rough translation. The concept with a simple explanation in one word: ‘sharing’.

In France, especially in small towns, we can find small cabinets in different shapes, sizes and colors. Most of the cabinets that are installed outdoor have glass doors to prevent wind and rain.

I found this kind of cupboard for the first time in Annecy. On the street in front of the train station where many local bus stops are situated, a small cupboard was standing still among people who were roaming around during such rush hour. Out of curiosity, I stepped closer to have a quick look. The cloudy glass door was being slid out, revealing different kinds of books inside. As an amateur bookworm, I couldn’t help being excited about what I have just discovered.  Too bad that I had to run since I had some work to do on that day. I put back sadly one of the books that interested me in the shelf. I didn’t want to take the book with me with an uncertainty that I might not read it and with the fact that there might be someone who wants this book more than me.

Book sharing cabinet found in Annecy

I saw this kind of no-official-French-name shelf again in many areas in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Being informed that we could find these cabinets all around in France surprised me. Have spent my life for three years in Lille, the northern France, I’ve never seen such kind of box in public areas before. So if you have seen some in the north of France, please point me out the spot(s).

Another book sharing box found in Annecy

Books are available both in French and English

With an intense interest, I looked up for the origin of this book sharing, exchanging box, this free library or whatever we prefer to call. According to some trustful information on the internet, the name of Todd Bol is mentioned as the origin of this concept, but if we dig deeper in the ocean of info, we’ll see that there’s no conclusion for the genesis of this story, yet. However, I found an insight that presented the name of Michael Clegg and Martin Guttmann, the duo artists with their art project ‘Open Library’. The project was exhibited in 1991 in Graz, Austria. The primary concept of this piece was to free the concept of the ready-made art that is limited to be found only in the museum and to let it be seen in public areas.

The two artists had collected books in the neighborhood and put them in a bookcase. People who live in the area could grab/borrow some book(s) without any commitment. And if someone wanted to share a book with the community, he/she was free to put it on the shelf.

This project got a positive feedback. The same kind of exhibition was organized again in Germany in 1993. So I guess, that is the beginning of ‘book sharing box’ that are found throughout western countries nowadays.

Book sharing shelf in Croix-Rousse, Lyon

As I mentioned that there’s no official name of this bookcase in France, yet the French are familiar with the term ‘Boîte à Lire’ which literally translated as ‘box for read’; and the term ‘Bibliothèque de Rue’ which means ‘Street Library’. The latter case is a name that is commonly used by a social service unit referring to a mobile library that comes along with games, activities and shows organized for underprivileged children in some areas.

Boîte à Lire in Hauterives

Another Boîte à Lire in Hauterives

From a research, aside from the ‘book sharing box’ concept, there exists another kind of activity that I’ve never experienced nor heard of, which is called ‘Bookcrossing’. In Thailand, it is known in a small group of reader as ‘book traveling’. With its easy concept, you can just ‘release’ a book that you want to share with others in a public place such as a park, a bus stop or a café,…and wait for someone to ‘catch’ it to read and ‘release’ it again. From the website www.bookcrossing.com, Ron Hornbaker and his wife who ignited this idea wanted to make the whole world a library with no boundary. To participate this activity, anyone can register a book on the website and label the number with a message (optional) before release it. We then will be able to follow the ‘journey’ of the book with its Bookcrossing number by hoping that the next person who catches the book will report where it is and where it will be traveling to. I find it such an adorable idea. <3

However, the deeper you dig, the more details you will find; and one of the shocking details I found is the conflict. In the case of Todd Bol’s Little Free Library, some groups of business took benefit of his idea by selling a ‘Little Free Library Box’ which led to a copyright claim by his organization, which (later) led to many conflicts of interest across and within the organizations (click here for more details). Or in the case of harmless Bookcrossing activity, it was blamed as a reason that reduced the sales, which could later bring lower incomes to people who work in the publishing industry. In response this accusation, the Bookcrossing supporters explained that the activity didn’t involve in any book duplication or copyright violation.

Book sharing corner in Part-Dieu Department Store in Lyon

Talking about ‘conflict’, I can’t help thinking of the ‘happiness sharing pantry’ in Thailand that got two sides of feedback. For the negative one, we blamed the people who took benefit selfishly from the pantry of sharing.

Well, no matter what the cabinet is called or what it contains inside, as long as its primary purpose is ‘giving’ or ‘sharing’, I am happy enough to know about its existence.

P.S. I was thinking that it would be nice if we have a book sharing box like the ones I saw in France, I then run into this book sharing corner in front of a store in Prachuap Kirikhan. The shelf might not beautiful and it might not contain many interesting books, but it’s a good start, a good tinder to set the fire of sharing to the whole community, for sure. 😊

Book sharing corner found in Prachuap Kirikhan, Thailand

อ่านภาษาไทย คลิกที่นี่

Thanks to important info from: https://www.actualitte.com/article/reportages/des-livres-dans-des-boites-les-boites-dans-les-rues/88490