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Improbable Libraries: A Visual Journey to the World's Most Unusual Libraries
How do you use your local library? Does it arrive at your door on the back of an elephant? Can it float down the river to you? Or does it occupy a phone booth by the side of the road?
Public libraries are a cornerstone of modern civilization, yet like the books in them, libraries face an uncertain future in an increasingly digital world. Undaunted, librarians around the globe are thinking up astonishing ways of reaching those in reading need, whether by bike in Chicago, boat in Laos, or donkey in Colombia. Improbable Libraries showcases a wide range of unforgettable, never-before-seen images and interviews with librarians who are overcoming geographic, economic, and political difficulties to bring the written word to an eager audience. Alex Johnson charts the changing face of library architecture, as temporary pop-ups rub shoulders with monumental brick-and-mortar structures, and many libraries expand their mission to function as true community centers. To take just one the open-air Garden Library in Tel Aviv, located in a park near the city’s main bus station, supports asylum seekers and migrant workers with a stock of 3,500 volumes in sixteen different languages.
Beautifully illustrated with two hundred and fifty color photographs, Improbable Libraries offers a breathtaking tour of the places that bring us together and provide education, entertainment, culture, and so much more. From the rise of the egalitarian Little Free Library movement to the growth in luxury hotel libraries, the communal book revolution means you’ll never be far from the perfect next read.
Public libraries are a cornerstone of modern civilization, yet like the books in them, libraries face an uncertain future in an increasingly digital world. Undaunted, librarians around the globe are thinking up astonishing ways of reaching those in reading need, whether by bike in Chicago, boat in Laos, or donkey in Colombia. Improbable Libraries showcases a wide range of unforgettable, never-before-seen images and interviews with librarians who are overcoming geographic, economic, and political difficulties to bring the written word to an eager audience. Alex Johnson charts the changing face of library architecture, as temporary pop-ups rub shoulders with monumental brick-and-mortar structures, and many libraries expand their mission to function as true community centers. To take just one the open-air Garden Library in Tel Aviv, located in a park near the city’s main bus station, supports asylum seekers and migrant workers with a stock of 3,500 volumes in sixteen different languages.
Beautifully illustrated with two hundred and fifty color photographs, Improbable Libraries offers a breathtaking tour of the places that bring us together and provide education, entertainment, culture, and so much more. From the rise of the egalitarian Little Free Library movement to the growth in luxury hotel libraries, the communal book revolution means you’ll never be far from the perfect next read.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published March 20, 2015
3 people are currently reading
961 people want to read
About the author
Alex Johnson
13books69followersLatest book: Shed Manual (Haynes, 2019)
Next book: Edward Lear & The Pussycat: Famous Writers and Their Pets (August, 2019)
Next book after that: Menus That Made History (Kyle/Octopus, September, 2019)
I am a professional blogger and journalist, part of The Independent newspaper's online team in the UK. I run Shedworking () which inspired the book 'Shedworking: The Alternative Workplace Revolution' published by Frances Lincoln, The Micro Life (), and curate Bookshelf (), which was published as a book in 2012 by Thames & Hudson as 'Bookshelf'.
'Improbable Libraries', a survey of the most unusual and intriguing libraries around the world, was published by Thames & Hudson in April 2015 and 'A Book of Book Lists' in October 2017 by The British Library. My book on book towns around the world, 'Book Towns', was published by Frances Lincoln in March 2018 and 'Shelf Life, a selection of essays about books and reading, in October 2018 by The British Library. The same month, I brought out a literary trumps card game called The Writers Game with Laurence King Publishing.
Next book: Edward Lear & The Pussycat: Famous Writers and Their Pets (August, 2019)
Next book after that: Menus That Made History (Kyle/Octopus, September, 2019)
I am a professional blogger and journalist, part of The Independent newspaper's online team in the UK. I run Shedworking () which inspired the book 'Shedworking: The Alternative Workplace Revolution' published by Frances Lincoln, The Micro Life (), and curate Bookshelf (), which was published as a book in 2012 by Thames & Hudson as 'Bookshelf'.
'Improbable Libraries', a survey of the most unusual and intriguing libraries around the world, was published by Thames & Hudson in April 2015 and 'A Book of Book Lists' in October 2017 by The British Library. My book on book towns around the world, 'Book Towns', was published by Frances Lincoln in March 2018 and 'Shelf Life, a selection of essays about books and reading, in October 2018 by The British Library. The same month, I brought out a literary trumps card game called The Writers Game with Laurence King Publishing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
Shelved as 'reviews-of-books-i-didnt-read'
February 9, 2016if they make you go on a beach holiday, choose this one
May 8, 2018
Filled with beautiful photos, this book takes you on a journey to some of the world's most beautiful - and sometimes unusual - libraries.
At a time when libaries are grossly underfunded and at a time when electronic devices seem to be taking over, the libraries of the world continue to serve their communities, and serve them well. This is a book for all book lovers and reminds us that libraries are a vital asset to humanity and need to be preserved and treasured.
You will see everything from opulent interiors to a library traveling on the back of an elephant, all in the effort to educate and inform, to bring the pleasure of reading to the farthest corners of the big world.
At a time when libaries are grossly underfunded and at a time when electronic devices seem to be taking over, the libraries of the world continue to serve their communities, and serve them well. This is a book for all book lovers and reminds us that libraries are a vital asset to humanity and need to be preserved and treasured.
You will see everything from opulent interiors to a library traveling on the back of an elephant, all in the effort to educate and inform, to bring the pleasure of reading to the farthest corners of the big world.
April 18, 2021
While I found the title of this fascinating book highly misleading, it was, nonetheless, very well organized and thoroughly interesting. Divided into several sections including “Animal Libraries,� “Tiny Libraries,� and even “Non-Libraries,� this visual journey around the world was colorful, exciting, and very original. By showcasing the efforts of many to foster literacy in unique and increasingly adaptable ways, the author used the visual narrative to foster optimism and cooperation. Overall, this was a beautiful (much-needed) boost, filled with a great variety of non-traditional libraries.
April 2, 2017
Very cool look at the many, many different ways that libraries reach people and people reach libraries around the world.
January 5, 2016
Beautiful and enlightening book on many different ways literacy is reaching the far parts of the world.
January 18, 2019
The photography is beautiful, and I loved reading about the unusual libraries from around the world. In some ways, I even finished the book feeling inspired by how important literature is, and by how far people will go to make it widely available to others. My only complaint was that the writing at times felt more like tangentially related lists that could have been organized in a way that let the ideas flow together. Still, the information was interesting and it is a wonderful collection of libraries.
October 27, 2015
This was a fun book. As you'd surmise from the title, this is chock full of gorgeous photos of interesting and unusual libraries. If it were larger, it would qualify as a coffee table book. Some of these seem, to me at least, like vacation destinations in the making. I also found the chapter on travelling libraries fascinating: using various types of pack animals to travel to remote villages, or boats to bring books to remote lighthouses and inlets. This book helps one appreciate the universal power of reading and the love of books.
October 23, 2016
Chock full of photographs of every imaginable kind of library. Mobile libraries (not just bookmobiles---but also libraries on boats, bikes, motorcycles, carts) libraries carried about by animals (camels, donkeys, horses, elephants), tiny libraries. fancy fancy libraries in rich people's homes.........
Lots of libraries.
The tiny library concept is super cool to me. I like the ones in regular neighborhoods that are in people's front yards as well as the ones that are housed in obsolete phone booths in large cities.
Lots of libraries.
The tiny library concept is super cool to me. I like the ones in regular neighborhoods that are in people's front yards as well as the ones that are housed in obsolete phone booths in large cities.
December 3, 2015
Geweldig boekje voor de bibliotheekliefhebber! Uiteraard maar een kleine selectie, maar wel eentje van heel bijzondere bibliotheken, met leuke foto's en een woordje uitleg. Het maakt nieuwsgierig en zet je aan om zelf op zoek te gaan naar nog meer van die bibliotheken. Inspirerend om te zien hoe overal ter wereld mensen hún manier vinden om een bibliotheek in te richten, hoe klein en vreemd het soms is. Absolute aanrader voor iedereen die van bibliotheken houdt!
August 13, 2020
A beautiful book. Wonderful to see so many amazing libraries. Heartwarming to see truly inspiring people offering books to all those who would love to read.
July 7, 2017
This is the type of book that book-lovers like myself will devour with shining eyes, while others will shrug it off. This is all about unusual libraries. There are some incredibly fancy modern design libraries showcased here, as well as hotels, bars and inns that have either their own library or function as an outpost of the local public library. But my favorites are the clever ways that book-minded idealists have found to bring the books to the people in those areas or situations where the people can't come to the books. Book-bicycles in urban areas. A book-mule ("biblioburro") in a rural area in Columbia. A book-camel in Mongolia. A book-horse in Ethiopia. And a book-elephant in Laos! Apart from the cute factor, how I admire the people who believe in the power of books to the point where they push, pull, drag, carry or otherwise convey an even limited amount of books to underserved areas! Pictures of children queuing up to receive a book, even if they can only keep it overnight, tell the story : people love books. There are quite a few examples of floating libraries as well, both of the variety of a book-ferry that goes on its appointed rounds, as someone who parks her canoe in the middle of a lake and offers books to those who swim or paddle up to her boat.
My second favorite type of library is the "bring one, take one" type of library. The Little Free Library movement is the best example of this concept, but there are so many other forms. Upcycling telephone booths is a favorite approach, but clever designers have come up with so many original ideas such as book refrigerators or book cubes suspended from wires.
The one thing that struck me is that the most creative ideas didn't seem to come from either third world countries or Europe. That may reflect the interests of the (British) author, or it may indicate that there is less interest in a fresh look at the library concept in the USA. I hope it's the former!
My second favorite type of library is the "bring one, take one" type of library. The Little Free Library movement is the best example of this concept, but there are so many other forms. Upcycling telephone booths is a favorite approach, but clever designers have come up with so many original ideas such as book refrigerators or book cubes suspended from wires.
The one thing that struck me is that the most creative ideas didn't seem to come from either third world countries or Europe. That may reflect the interests of the (British) author, or it may indicate that there is less interest in a fresh look at the library concept in the USA. I hope it's the former!
July 26, 2022
Improbable Libraries represents another installment in my personal happiness project. Books make me happy and books about books are pure pleasure. This book is a lovely tribute to unusual libraries with a delightful essay overview of each improbable library type followed by beautiful pictures. Among my favorites: libraries carried on the backs of camels, donkeys, mules, and elephants to reach readers in deserts, forests, mountains, and jungles; books in clear birdhouse-like structures suspended from trees in a European forest; a personal library so high that the only way to reach books is by dangling from a chair connected to a chain that rises up and down the structure--imagine the amusement park swing ride and you've got the right idea; all manner of libraries at airports, subways, and train stations--perfect for picking up a book to enjoy during travel. My favorite exterior had to be that of the Kansas City Central Library, which I now want to visit. Google to see a picture of the beautiful design, and maybe you'll want to go along with me. I didn't much like the idea of a library on a raft in the middle of a river or bookshelves set up on a beach. If I'm in the middle of a river, I probably want to chill and enjoy nature; and while I might read on the beach, the beach environment is physically hard on books and it felt like people should use discretion about which books they might want to expose to that experience.
September 28, 2018
Great overview of what type of libraries exist, beautifully documented
May 24, 2020
A collection of photos of unusual libraries around the world.
February 3, 2023
What a fun romp through the world of unusual libraries. They vary so widely but all have a common cause of bringing literary, community, and thought to a public often distracted by an overwhelming onslaught of information input.
May 2, 2022
I liked how it covered more than traditional libraries but rather creative ways to promote literacy & community worldwide.
May 3, 2024
enjoyed this, if nothing else than to just see how libraries are utilized in other countries.
January 6, 2022
Mostly pictures of
Libraries; mobile, mule, raft.
This book brought me joy.
Libraries; mobile, mule, raft.
This book brought me joy.
March 3, 2017
A really wonderful and fascinating look at unconventional library spaces around the world. Would recommend to fellow library science students or librarians who are interested in critically examining what makes a library and how we make our collections accessible to different patron groups.
August 25, 2015
The Improbable Libraries in this little book are those that display clever design (Kansas City with it's book-lined facade), are located in unusual places (the airport in Amsterdam), or move about (the library that travels by elephant in rural Asia and the burro libraries of South America." The pictures are lovely, but because of the small size of the book they are not at their best. The text is just basic explanation. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this tour through the world's most unusual and in some cases most useful libraries.
July 22, 2016
Bibliotheken van de 21ste eeuw. In een telefooncel, op een boot, in een bakfiets, in openlucht, op het strand, in het hotel en de supermarkt... Bibliotheken van de meest eenvoudige tot het architecturale meesterwerk. Allemaal hebben ze een ding gemeen : volwassenen, ouders, kinderen, daklozen, gevangenen, zieken, kort... iedereen aan te moedigen om te lezen. Fraai geïllustreerd boek om geïnteresseerd te lezen en (later) bij beetjes van te genieten.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2015
For me, just the right balance of text and image given the intentions of the volume. There's a selected bibliography for anyone who wants more reading, and references to online photo collections as well. Nice variety of ways to get books to people, nice photos.
July 17, 2015
A Thames & Hudson cloffee table book - glossy paper, more pics than text - I loved it. Libraries situated in trees (yes, really!) in old unused Britiszxh red phone boxes, pop-up libraries in parks; mobile libraries per camel, mule, bus ... An encouraging, fun book. Viva Libraries!
January 10, 2016
library copy, natch
August 24, 2022
A couple days ago it was a book about bookstores. Today it's an equally wonderful book about libraries. "Improbable Libraries" is subtitled "A Visual Journey to the World's Most Unusual Libraries," and there are some very unusual ones here with a brief text and color photos. There are animal libraries on burros, camels, horses, or elephants. There are tiny libraries in abandoned phone booths and refrigerators, plus the multitude of little free libraries that have become commonplace in recent years. There are mobile libraries on commuter trains in South America and Europe, and boat libraries on the west coast of Norway, and on the Mekong River in Laos.
Some of the most interesting libaries are found in homes, including one library so high on a wall it can only be accessed by a special hanging chair contraption, and another that you can leave quickly by going down an indoor sliding board. This book can stimulate your imagination and help you think of some original library you can make in your own home. This book is a reminder of how important real books are. None of the libraries consist of just a computer screen. Fun and exciting.
Some of the most interesting libaries are found in homes, including one library so high on a wall it can only be accessed by a special hanging chair contraption, and another that you can leave quickly by going down an indoor sliding board. This book can stimulate your imagination and help you think of some original library you can make in your own home. This book is a reminder of how important real books are. None of the libraries consist of just a computer screen. Fun and exciting.
December 31, 2017
This unique photojournalistic survey of the world's libraries was a joy to flip through. And it wasn't just your official county library either...far from it. It included big libraries, small libraries (think the "tiny house" trend), mobile libraries, little free libraries, art depictions of libraries, and "not libraries"-- shelves of books stuck randomly in pubs, cafes, and pharmacies.
What struck me most about this book was how global, and universal, is this human desire to not only read, but exchange books and share the ones that struck you with others. Along with architecturally striking private libraries obviously custom-made for the rich were the tiniest libraries stuck in burlap sacks and strapped to donkeys or elephants in remote Africa or southeast Asia. "Bookwallahs" in India, a beach library in Australia, red phone booth kiosk libraries in the U.K., and treehouse libraries for children in Malaysia.
Also: a mobile wheelbarrow library for the homeless in Portland (paging scriptwriters of the TV show "Portlandia"...stat!).
What struck me most about this book was how global, and universal, is this human desire to not only read, but exchange books and share the ones that struck you with others. Along with architecturally striking private libraries obviously custom-made for the rich were the tiniest libraries stuck in burlap sacks and strapped to donkeys or elephants in remote Africa or southeast Asia. "Bookwallahs" in India, a beach library in Australia, red phone booth kiosk libraries in the U.K., and treehouse libraries for children in Malaysia.
Also: a mobile wheelbarrow library for the homeless in Portland (paging scriptwriters of the TV show "Portlandia"...stat!).
July 12, 2022
A look at some very unique libraries and how books are made available to people for free is the content of this book. I enjoyed reading how books travel by animals and vehicles to bring reading material to remote places and the intrepid people who make that happen.
Some libraries pictured are made of interesting materials or made to have a unique architectural look.
A few of my favorites were the library in Koh Kood, Thailand made of bamboo and shaped to look like a manta ray, the wonderful facade of the Kansas City Central Library, and the Garden Library in Tel Aviv where books are grouped by readers' assessment such as amusing or bizarre. One category was Boring and I wondered who might pick a book from that shelf.
Although many of the buildings are more modernistic in design I was still delighted that a few featured still had that wooden, gothic look that I picture when I think of a library.
From Little Free Libraries to home libraries to outdoor libraries there is something in this book for everyone.
Some libraries pictured are made of interesting materials or made to have a unique architectural look.
A few of my favorites were the library in Koh Kood, Thailand made of bamboo and shaped to look like a manta ray, the wonderful facade of the Kansas City Central Library, and the Garden Library in Tel Aviv where books are grouped by readers' assessment such as amusing or bizarre. One category was Boring and I wondered who might pick a book from that shelf.
Although many of the buildings are more modernistic in design I was still delighted that a few featured still had that wooden, gothic look that I picture when I think of a library.
From Little Free Libraries to home libraries to outdoor libraries there is something in this book for everyone.
December 9, 2018
Improbable Libraries is a curious and fascinating compilation of the multiple creative ways people from around the world have connected their communities with books. Part history, part sociology, part architecture, this book details such amazing libraries and "non-libraries" as collections of books in Britain's now obsolete red phone booths and mobile libraries carried on everything from camels and donkeys to bicycles and boats. Most describe mini-libraries in underserved places from the mountains of Colombia to low-income areas of big cities. But there's also a chapter on the newest and most amazing huge libraries from around the world. This book is filled with photographs of the peculiar and beautiful landscapes and buildings where books are being offered to local inhabitants for a variety of reasons and usually for free, but mostly to encourage literacy and build community. A quick and thoroughly enjoyable read.
June 8, 2022
I work in a library, so this was a fun book for me to peruse. Divided up into chapters that included Libraries on the Move, Animal Libraries, Tiny Libraries, Big Libraries, Home Libraries, Mobile Libraries and Not Libraries, this book took you on an around the world journey to some of the most unique libraries in the world.
Some of my favorites included:
The Garden Library in Tel Aviv - This modern looking construction sits inside Levinsky Park. Glass enclosed bookshelves invite you to browse.
The Mongolian Children's Mobile Library - It's a camel carrying books!
The Community Bookshelf - This Library in Kansas is painted on the outside like the spines of different books. The titles were voted on by the citizens.
The Tardis Little Free Library - It's bigger on the inside.
This was a fun book to just browse and read about the libraries that caught my attention.
Some of my favorites included:
The Garden Library in Tel Aviv - This modern looking construction sits inside Levinsky Park. Glass enclosed bookshelves invite you to browse.
The Mongolian Children's Mobile Library - It's a camel carrying books!
The Community Bookshelf - This Library in Kansas is painted on the outside like the spines of different books. The titles were voted on by the citizens.
The Tardis Little Free Library - It's bigger on the inside.
This was a fun book to just browse and read about the libraries that caught my attention.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
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