Street Libraries
Take a Book; Leave a Book
The City of Ryde is working with the community to share books through the installation of little libraries, better known as street libraries, in our public domain. A street library is a weatherproof box that is publicly available for anyone to share books.
Street libraries offer a range of benefits to the community including:
- Encouraging books to be recycled and shared
- Providing any member of the community access to literature and the joys of reading
- Providing opportunities for community members to meet, connect and socialise
- Enlivening and activating public spaces.
This project aims to increase community activation through installing public libraries throughout our public domain. The libraries work on an honesty system with the motto “Take a book; leave a book”.
Council’s City Activation team are leading the project, which works with community groups to design and paint the libraries. A location for the street library is identified, and a suitable custodian of the street library is sourced. The custodian is typically a business that is located adjacent to the library whose role is to monitor and maintain the library, and communicate with Council.
Council’s first street library was installed at Boronia Park. This library was designed and painted by children at Boronia Park After Care Centre and the custodian is Boronia Park Framing. This library has been highly successful at activating the once bare space, and the community love the fact that a good read is never far away.
Find a City of Ryde Street Library near you by clicking on the links below.
Boronia Park
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Denistone
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Denistone East
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Eastwood
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Gladesville
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Macquarie Park
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Marsfield
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North Ryde
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Putney
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Ryde
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West Ryde
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Street Libraries Gallery