Tiny library growing
What does a busy barista do in his “two minutes a day” downtime?
Opens a library, says Matt Sissons, owner of Waipukurau’s Espresso Loco coffee shop and now also, arguably the district’s smallest library.
Matt says he was keen to inspire people to read a book and the tiny library is an idea he has seen working well in other locations.
“I had an old cabinet that came with the business. It needed a new use so I repurposed it into a library, wheeled it out next to the coffee shop, stocked it with donated books and people love it,” he says.
“It’s just something for the community. It’s been really well received . . . it catches people’s eye as they buy their coffee, they have a browse and they can walk off with a book. A lot of people have told me they hadn’t read a book in years, but they have picked one out of the cabinet and enjoyed it, and now they’re right back into it.
“Actually, me too — I hadn’t read a book in ages until I started this.”
Anyone can donate a book, swap a book or simply borrow one, Matt says and it’s all based on an honesty system.
“You don’t have to sign up for anything.”
So who are the little library’s readership? “Everybody,” he says. “From travelling truck drivers to local regulars.”
And if you love a book so much you can’t bear to bring it back, that’s OK too . . .
“Just replace it with another one,” Matt says.