About this item
How do you use your local library? Does it arrive at your door on the back of an elephant? Can it float down the river to you? Or does it occupy a phone booth by the side of the road? Public libraries are a cornerstone of modern civilization, yet like the books in them, libraries face an uncertain future in an increasingly digital world. Undaunted, librarians around the globe are thinking up astonishing ways of reaching those in reading need, whether by bike in Chicago, boat in Laos, or donkey in Colombia. Improbable Libraries showcases a wide range of unforgettable, never-before-seen images and interviews with librarians who are overcoming geographic, economic, and political difficulties to bring the written word to an eager audience. Alex Johnson charts the changing face of library architecture, as temporary pop-ups rub shoulders with monumental brick-and-mortar structures, and many libraries expand their mission to function as true community centers.
About the Author
Alex is a writer and journalist, part of The Independent's online team since 2007. He runs Shedworking (www.shedworking.co.uk) which inspired the 2010 book 'Shedworking: The Alternative Workplace Revolution' published by Frances Lincoln and Bookshelf (www.onthebookshelf.co.uk) which was the basis of the book 'Bookshelf' (Thames & Hudson, 2012) .'Improbable Libraries', a survey of the most unusual and intriguing libraries around the world, was published by Thames & Hudson in April 2015 and 'A Book of Book Lists' in October 2017 by The British Library. Alex's book on book towns around the world, 'Book Towns' was published in 2018 by Frances Lincoln, and 'Shelf Life' (a collection of essays about books and reading by famous writers) the same year by The British Library. His co-authored 'Shed Manual' was published in spring 2019 by iconic publisher Haynes. His most recent books are 'Edward Lear and the Pussy Cat: Famous Writers and Their Pets' (British Library, 2019) and another co-authored title 'Menus That Made History' (Kyle, 2019) . His latest book is 'How To Give Your Children A Lifelong Love Of Reading' (British Library, 2020) . In July, 'The Soundtrack to Life' in collaboration with Scala Radio is published by Kyle and 'Art Day by Day' from Thames & Hudson. 'Writers' Rooms' will be published by Quarto in 2022.
