Project Description

The Livrolivre is an attempt to adapt and translate the BookCrossing movement, where 800k people in over 130 countries come to share their passion for books. It supports the idea that books might and should be free. We understand the action of reading a book and giving it away can be seen as an extension of the book’s history and this process could be seen and followed on the project’s website. We also work to demystify books through workshops that demonstrate how to make a book with recycled materials that children could not only read but also write depending on their ages. We want to create an world free library, without doors or shelves. A label is glued into each book which tells the reader that it is not a present: once they have finished reading it they must give it away, so someone else can enjoy. The idea behind that is to free the books from its former owner’s hands and let them run wild through the world. Unlike the North American original project, that focuses on a book lover community, the Livrolivre developed what we call Blitz Literárias, those are short actions, where a team of volunteers give large numbers of books to a certain neighbourhoods (all of them labeled and registered on the official website), hoping that this will encourage the habbit of reading around there. To free a book, you have to go to the site (www.livrolivre.art.br) and click on the botton "libertar um livro". Then you must fill some basic information: name of the book, author. After that the site will give you a number, that should be written on the label (availiable on the site on print version) that should be glued on the inside part of the book. This codes works not only to include the book on the database of Livrolivre: by putting the code on the site, the user can leave comments about it and track it on the map as the book goes from hand to hand

Inspiration

In 2007 during the FLIP Literary International Paraty Party we noticed the lack of books in that party, even though it is on of the biggest celebrations of literature on the country. The city had only one bookshop and no library. Due to that observations, the Livrolivre was created. According to an IBOPE's survey, in Brazil many people have great difficulty getting access to books. Between those who claimed themselves readers, the majors difficutlies were the lack of money (18%), of libraries (15%) and bookshops (8%). The average number of books that are bought over a year is only one or two books per person. The non-readers are focused on the C (33%) and D (50%) classes and most of them get only minnimum wages (34%). Only one out of four students go to the public libraries. The main reason often for not using the public libraries were the problems that they have. Sadly (67%) say that they know the library is closed to them. More than half of Brazilian books are in the possesion of only 20% of the population. Therefore it's understandable, that books are hard to get and a rare thing for the an average Brazilian who is not wealthy and less instructed. It is possible to change the fact that many books are stuck on old shelves and will not be readen again, if they could actually being borrowed or given to potential new readers. According to the same survey one out of every three Brazilians knows someone who has won in life thanks to reading. If books are not shared it will block new readers and also stop them from personal progress. Many oportuinities that could have been given to a big part of poppulation are missed. A year later on 2008, we decided that it was time to let the project hatch, so we created the firsts Blitz Literárias during the FLIP, we gave away 400 books. The project was explained to each person and a book was given as a no-present, specifying that the book should be given away once finnished.

Who will enjoy this the most?

The main target are people who either love to read and don’t have books or don't have as much passion to read books, but we hope once given the oportunity will enjoy it. It will also help people who couldn't reach books that easily and will give the community something to talk about, something to trade, something to read. By doing that we hope that we can help to change that community way of seeing literature, desmistifying that big monster that books are sometimes considered. Booklovers will also enjoy it because their hearts are in the project. Sometimes adults don't have the habit of reading and many have never read a classic, such as Pride and Prejudice from Jane Austen, and they won't or can’t buy it. We will give them the a book and that might bring the sparkle that was needed to their lives. Also the fact that if you give it to them, not as present, but on loan it gives the reader a sense of purpose – they have to pass it on after they have read it.

The Project

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dsPbH1GZ_E- blitz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDUqLqbXbhg&feature=related - Blitz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKLU_RQWnT0&feature=related - workshop