Bucharest residents passing through the Piața Unirii subway station now have access to a full shelf of books provided by the Bucharest Metropolitan Library and the National Library of Romania as part of a new initiative aimed at stimulating interest in reading and facilitating access to culture for as many people as possible.

Initiated by the National Library of Romania, The Subway Library (Biblioteca de la Metrou) pilot project, which is set to be expanded to other stations as well, was launched on February 15, National Reading Day.

The books can be consulted on the spot or borrowed for home use, provided they are returned or replaced with other volumes. They must not have physical damage, such as missing parts or destroyed pages, should not present chemical or biochemical damage, and should not be foreign publications of little informational or documentary value.

"Practically, starting today, the Bucharest Metropolitan Library will travel daily with the subway, through the books that travelers will carry with them, from station to station, until they get home. The Subway Library cultural project is an extraordinary initiative, especially considering that research from Nielsen Book Data emphasizes that Generation Z prefers printed books, representing 80% of purchases from November 2021 to 2022. Libraries also report an increase in Generation Z users who prefer peace and quiet over noisy cafes. In the UK, library visits have increased by 71%. Through such initiatives, we can only hope that Romania will enjoy similar percentages one day," said Ramona Mezei, General Manager of the Bucharest Metropolitan Library, quoted by G4media.ro.

The Bucharest Metropolitan Library, through the Culture, Education, and Tourism Directorate of the Bucharest Municipality, is a partner alongside Metrorex in this project. Metrorex will provide the necessary space for storing the books, while the Bucharest Metropolitan Library and the National Library of Romania will provide the books. 

The project aims to explore new ways to encourage reading among the population. Recent statistics published by the National Institute of Statistics indicate that approximately 11.1 million Romanians have declared that they have not read any books in the last year for various reasons, including lack of time or interest. 

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Biblioteca Metropolitană București on Facebook)