Falling behind on your New Year’s resolution to read more books? Macao’s three new pop-up libraries may be what it takes to get you back on track. Their books are available for anyone to take, for free, and members of the public can add their own used volumes to the selection.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau (known by its Portuguese initials IC) has placed the cheerfully-painted book booths in public places around the city: there’s one at Rotunda de Carlos da Maia (also known as Three Lamps District), another in the leisure area of Fai Chi Kei’s Edificio Lok Yeung Fa Yuen, and the third is outside Taipa’s Nova Mall.
The pop-up libraries won’t be around long, however. IC has said they’ll be out on the streets until 11 August, then back 7-13 October and 9-15 December.
[See more: Here are your 10 must-read volumes on Macao]
The small selections of books held within have all must have been published within the last 10 years and not feature any obscene material.
The initiative is part of a government push to transform Macao into a ‘City of Reading’. IC said that it was working to “strengthen the promotion of reading in the community” and highlight books’ ability to enrich lives.
The SAR already has one of the highest densities of libraries in the surrounding region, with official data revealing that there were 314 libraries in 2019. Plans are currently afoot to build a new four-storey library Central Library on the grounds of the former Hotel Estoril.
