The new Kids Little Library is celebrating its grand opening this morning with an afternoon packed full of family fun. With Sid Sloane from Cbeebies leading the merriment, youngsters are encouraged to join in at the Norfolk Square location to celebrate the new library, join in with storytelling and face-painting, and of course scoff a few cakes!
The book swap is about sharing and swapping stories amongst children (and parents), and encouraging a community of common resources. The book swap has started with a collection of books from Michelle Pauli, and will grow and evolve from there as the local community resource is used.
This new book swap comes following another book swap campaign, ‘City Reads’, which was launched in accordance with the Brighton Festival and Quercus, and was aimed at getting more people in Brighton and Hove reading for free.
These exciting Book Swap Boxes give locals the chance to engage with reading for free, in a fun and rewarding way. Many studies have found that reading new books not only expands your knowledge and allows you to experience a story through someone else’s perspective, but is also a great way of improving memory and reducing stress.
You’ll find the hand-made wood and glass cabinets all around the city in locations including the Big Beach Cafe in Hove Lagoon, Pavilion Gardens Cafe and Cascade Creative in Baker Street.
The pop-up libraries are based on a sense of trust and have already been used widely by locals looking for something new to read. There has even been a cabinet installed into the First Base drop in centre for rough sleepers, and another at Brighton and Hove Housing Trust.
The idea is already popular, effective, and growing all across European cities, so it’s nice to see this idea taking root in Brighton and Hove.
