ever the vigilant sentinel
glenn frey the cat not the rocker
mans his post
to guard my latest pile of books
my gargoyle is at the ready
and clearly on high alert
no one dare mess with him.
—
“you cannot give up. we are gargoyle, and we are strong.”
― faith gibson
Turkish Garbage Collectors Open Library Full of Discarded Books
Turkish garbage collectors in the country’s capital city of Ankara have opened a public library that is full of books that were originally destined to be put into landfill. The workers began collecting discarded books and opened the new library in the Çankaya district of Ankara. News of the library has spread and now people have begun donating books directly to the library, rather than throwing them away.
As CNN reports, the library was originally created for the use of the employees friends and family but, as it grew in size, the library was officially opened to the public in September of last year. “We started to discuss the idea of creating a library from these books. And when everyone supported it, this project happened,” said Çankaya Mayor Alper Tasdelen, whose local government spearheaded the opening of the library.
The library now has over 6,000 fiction and non-fiction books and includes a children’s section, an area dedicated to scientific research books, and a number of English and French language books for those who are bilingual. The library building itself used to be a brick factory and is located at the sanitation department HQ. The building featured long corridors and an aged brick facade and transformed perfectly into a library.
Books can be withdrawn for two weeks at a time, with an extension available if required. The library’s collection has now become so vast that it loans many of the books to schools, educational programs, and even prisons.“Village schoolteachers from all over Turkey are requesting books,” Tasdelen said. The library has also created new job opportunities as it requires full time staff to run and support it.
The library has proven to be a huge hit with the community. Children of the employees often enjoy reading there and local school children visit to study. Local cyclists who pedal through the nearby valley often take a break there and enjoy the lounge area and chess boards. “Before, I wished that I had a library in my house. Now we have a library here,” Serhat Baytemur, a 32-year-old garbage collector, told state media.
—
“ours is a culture and a time immensely rich in trash as it is in treasures.”
― ray bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
—
credits: kerrytown bookfest, forreadingaddicts.co.uk,cnn
met up with my bookclub
for a late holiday brunch
in one of my favorite places
with
some of my favorite people
lots of bad gifts
beautiful food
morning drinks
strong coffee
live jazz
a pinata
and
a full morning of laughter.
a couple of people even read the book.
“laughter is an instant vacation.”
-milton berle
—
image credit: goodreads.com
spent a few beautiful afternoon hours
at the kerrytown bookfest
in the ann arbor farmers market
where i usually find the flowers and fruit
on this day
i found all kinds of wonders
new and used books
interesting genres
loved the gunslingers section
illustrators proud of their work
fellow book loving shoppers
passionate authors of all kinds
and
so many, many words
—
“reading is an exercise in empathy;
an exercise in walking in someone else’s shoes for a while.”
-malorie blackman
john wanders through the stacks. by far, the most interesting bookstore i’ve ever spent time in
john k. king used & rare books
is a bookstore out of its time
located in detroit on 4 floors
of what used to be the advance glove company building
filled with over 1 million volumes
completely uncomputerized collections
organized into more than 900 categories
by a team of energetic and helpful staff members
each floor has a manager who is responsible
for knowledge and maintenance of the categories held there
upon entering you are handed a map and directory
you are free to wander you way through the floors
until closing time.
john began collecting and selling books as a teenager
selling them out of the trunk of his car
and he continues to this day
on my recent visit to the store
staff members said he was in his car
headed to cincinnati to acquire a new collection
every time they sell a few books, he takes on more
he’s now purchased the old otis elevator building
behind the store to use as
an annex for his art and rare book collections
this is a store and experience not to be missed.
“i thought i’d go to a bookstore and see what moved me.”
-erik larson
—
credits: john r. king books
a great day spent in detroit
exploring the main library
built by andrew carnegie
in the last year of the civil war
to bring knowledge to the people
1 of 21 remaining in detroit
not forgetting the children
where stories were told in front of the fire
and careful attention
was paid to every detail
a beautiful oasis created and restored
beating in the heart of the city.
—
“a city isn’t so unlike a person.
they both have the marks to show
they have many stories to tell.
they see many faces.
they tear things down and make new again.”
― rasmenia massoud
I didn't have my glasses on.... 
