Librarians' Book Crossing initiative to mark World Book Day

Date published: 26/02/2007

Librarians will be leaving books in health centres, leisure centres, pubs, cafes, and hairdressing salons across the borough on Thursday 1 March.

The aim is to put them in places where someone might have the time and curiosity to pick them up and have a read.

The initiative will mark World Book Day and is aimed at tempting people to join the 'Book Crossing' idea.

Finders of books can read and keep them, or pass them on, after registering their 'find' on the Book Crossing website: www.bookcrossing.com. Each book will be given its own number on the Book Crossing website, so that readers can track their book's journey around the borough and then the world.

Janice Tod, Area Librarian for Rochdale Council, said: "This is book borrowing with a difference; the books do not have to be returned. We hope that after finding a Book Crossing book by chance, people who do not think about reading a book will give it a try and some will visit their local library for more books. To tempt people, we will be leaving more recent novels to be found."
 
The Council's library service is joining libraries across the North West to encourage Book Crossing on World Book Day. Book Crossing asks readers to share the books they have enjoyed with other people, by leaving them in public places. Worldwide, almost half a million people are now members of Book Crossing groups.

The NW BookCrossing project is co-ordinated by Time To Read, the NW Libraries Reader Development partnership.