The most original book houses in Italy

Le book houses They are small structures, often similar to houses made of wood or glass, placed in public spaces such as squares, parks or sidewalks, which function as community mini-librariesThe main idea is that of the free exchange of books: Anyone can take a book and/or leave a book for someone else.

 

The way it works is very simple: anyone can take one of the books placed inside the house and, if they wish, leave another of their choice. It's a truly free exchange, which is the foundation of the project's philosophy.

The houses are also often used as exchange points for bookcrossing , a way to exchange and distribute books for free based on a list of books identified by a unique code.

Book houses are now found everywhere in Italy, from large cities like Rome and Milan to small towns and villages. They vary in size, are often colorful or even decorated by artists, and feature a small door to protect books from the elements.

The ones we present are among the most original:

• A Florence they are present in the Campo di Marte Garden, in the Anconella Park, at the Lippi Garden, in the Bindolo garden in via Neri di Bicci, in the Ponte a Greve district.
• The Rome boasts numerous of them throughout the city, for example at the Garden of the cherry trees, in the Giordano Sangalli Park in Torpignattara, in the Tor Sapienza Park.
• Who lives in Milan may come across numerous book houses: one of all is the Corbetta Free Library, first cottage in the world to belong to a public library, as well as third Free Library of Italy and sixth in Europe.
• Near Padova, in the Municipality of Albignasego, the Committee Crea.ti.va., as part of the “Let's Read in the Park” project, has set up and placed 14 houses in the parks, all decorated by local artists.
• It's easy to come across these houses even in the small villages scattered around the peninsula, for example in Municipality of Budoia, in Friuli Venezia Giulia, there are three dedicated to local products and traditions.
• Same thing in the small town of Lastra a Signa, in Tuscany, where a little house was built for the books in Garibaldi Square. 
• A  Varese in the park of Villa Toeplitz, in the Estensi Gardens and in Mantegazza Park three have been installed houses where anyone can take or leave books for free
• On Lake Como, along an itinerary of about 12 km between Maslianico, Cernobbio, Just like e brunate there are about 16 free libraries where you can find them while walking books to exchange. 
• In Sondalo, in Alta Valtellina, in Lombardy, some have been placed book houses in public parks, in front of the town hall and the headquarters of the Sports Citadel.
• The FB page “Leave a book, take a book” is the national network for sharing of the books where you can consult an interactive map showing over 2.700 bookshops throughout Italy.

App to find the book houses

Did you know that there are apps dedicated to book houses ? We'll point out two:

• "Le Book Houses", a smartphone app, developed by the Parma Cultura Digitale APS and Scambiamente APS associations, created to create a collaborative network among the organizations that host the "ABC Adopts Book Crossing" project in the Parma area. Among other things, the app can be downloaded and used to scan and click the ISBN code of the book placed in the bookcase and of the one collected.
• "Little Free Library“, an international app that allows you to locate book houses close to where you are.

How to build a little house of the books

Bookcases are usually made of wood by carpenters or specialized companies that sell them ready-to-use. But how can you make them from recycled materials? If you're not particularly skilled at DIY, we recommend using wooden containers, such as fruit crates , which are also widely used to create home bookcases.

• Get 4 fruit crates and after sanding them, paint them with acrylic paints of your choice.
• Stack the four boxes, securing them together with screws and a screwdriver. This will create a mini, vertical bookcase.
• Close only the two upper shelves by adding two closing doors.
• To protect the house from the elements, attach a metal roof to the top.

Obviously, a book house of this type is quite delicate, so it is best to place it in a place sheltered from the rain.