By Julie Power
There is only one rule governing Suzy Peters’ Newtown street library, which accepts free books that anyone can take. Called the Nut Cluster, it doesn’t accept religious books.
Otherwise, anything goes. Take the donation of a graphic novel that prompted a spontaneous teenage singalong of The Simpsons Movie song, Spider-Pig.
The outburst was the kind of serendipity that Nic Lowe, co-founder of the non-profit Street Library Australia (SLA), said happens when community and books come together to promote lifelong literacy and a love of reading.
Suzy Peters and neighbours Emma Badger, Margot Bell and Luca Mastrantone enjoy the street library outside her Camperdown home. Credit: Louise Kennerley
Peters, a working parent who couldn’t keep up with the overdue library fines on her children’s books, installed her own library seven years ago.
There were no overdue notices, the books were free, and there were plenty of surprises.
“I really liked the fact that I could give, take and borrow. There was no obligation,” she said. “It’s a mystery box. You can always walk past a street library and find something new. You’re not looking for anything, so you are never disappointed.”
She’s kept some donated books, including reprints of 1913 guides to marriage, Don’ts for Wives, warning wives against being “termagants” (harsh or overbearing), and Don’ts for Husbands, suggesting husbands should not insist on having the last word.
Her ban on religious books began after Jehovah’s Witnesses kept filling her box with what looked like sci-fi novels. Compared to other donations, the books were “always perfect looking, and nobody has ever read them”.
Eight years after SLA made its first street library, 5215 are listed on its map, helping the public find one near them. Sydney’s inner west may be the informal capital of street libraries, but they have spread across the continent.
Most operate near the letterbox or front fence of homes. Others are portable; some operate out of shopping arcades, schools, community centres, and near ocean baths. Quite a few are housed in old fridges and phone boxes.
To mark SLA’s second annual National Shared Reading Week from October 28 to November 3, Peters will be leading a progressive book crawl, stopping to browse, chat and read to children and adults.
Lowe fell in love with the idea of book libraries after seeing little boxes of books everywhere in Portland, Oregon. He liked the way every street librarian had his or her own rules, or none. “You make of it what you will, and we will facilitate and support your street library,” he said.
Lowe, also a co-founder of GoGet rental cars, liked that “there are no haters”.
He described the street library community as a circular economy of karma: What leaves one street library and ends up in another is part of the greater good.
Lowe estimates there could be another 1000 street libraries operating independently of SLA.
He is encouraging those street librarians to add theirs to the map and take advantage of the organisation’s support.
Some people may prefer not to do so for privacy reasons. But listing a library on the map will encourage people to continue reading physical books – often to children – and get off their devices.
National Shared Reading Week is held between October 28 and November 3.
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