A pedal-powered library has launched in Canberra’s inner south
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London might have a bookstore on a barge, but Canberra has its own quirky independent bookshop – and it’s pedal-powered.
It’s time to be introduced to Canberra’s mobile book swap shop: The Book Bike. And while you might not expect to find your next read on the back of a bike, this local creation is here to change that.
Combining the convenience of street libraries with the benefits of traditional brick-and-mortar bookstores, The Book Bike is a unique pedal-powered second-hand bookshop cruising the streets of Narrabundah and Griffith.
Starting a simple idea and a stall at the Narrabundah Festival, The Book Bike was conceptualised and built by Hanne Melgård Watkins and Ivan Denker, after they realised there was a unique opportunity to connect with the local community through a love of books.
And despite literally only travelling down the street and across the road, they’ve come a long way.
Moving to Canberra five years ago, Hanne and Ivan say that they immediately appreciated the convenience of each suburb having its accessible collection of shops. They also noticed only a few suburbs have a bookstore, but Little Street Libraries could be found everywhere.
“From a customer’s perspective, actual bookstores are obviously great – you can get recommendations from knowledgeable staff, the selection of books is likely to be large, and they are nice places to browse. But they are relatively scarce because of the costs involved in running, staffing, and stocking them,” says Hanne.
“Little Street Libraries, on the other hand, are abundant. For customers they are free, but they are often a dumping ground for books nobody wants, and there are no staff available to curate the selection or provide recommendations. The book bike sits between these two alternatives.”
Stocking everything from books for younger readers to novels that have inspired blockbuster movies (all of which have been carefully curated by Hanne), the concept is simple: you can bring a book to swap for free or pay $5 to buy one on the spot, with the money going directly to The Life You Can Save – a charity focussed on ending extreme poverty.
Explaining that they wanted to have a broader positive impact on the local community while also enjoying their passion project, Hanne and Ivan have currently donated more than $200 through book sales.
“Although we love the book bike and are happy that it delights other people too, we’re also aware that its direct impact on the world is limited – at least for the time being – to a few suburbs in Canberra,” she says.
“In addition to enjoying ourselves with this small project, we therefore wanted to make sure that we’re indirectly connecting to something bigger and having a broader positive impact.”
Currently taking The Book Bike out on weekends in the inner south, the duo is hoping to add a few more outings and suburbs to their calendar (including riding along to some markets). And while she’s met many voracious bookworms in the area, Hanne says that the bike has also fostered many connections not related to books.
Noting that the Book Bike wouldn’t be possible without the help of members from the Narrabundah Community Shed at the Marymead Retirement Village Azure, as they don their helmets and pedal Canberra’s mobile book swap shop around town, Hanne and Ivan hope to inspire more readers and meet more people.
“I’m always there, deciding which books go on the shelves, which means you won’t have to sort through Internet for Dummies or Thermodynamics 101 to find something you’d want to read,” says Hanne.
“If you do need a particular book or recommendation, I’ll do my best to help… Hearing from others about their favourites has already expanded my reading horizons, and I hope to continue sharing that experience with others in the community as well.”
Usually located at the Griffith or Narrabundah shops on Saturday or Sunday mornings, follow @bookbookbike on Instagram or email bookbookbike@gmail.com to find out where they’ll be next.
Now that’s one Instagram page that deserves to be bookmarked.
