The Journey of Books around Austria

The newly written work attracts the full attention of readers who eagerly wait to read it, admire it, and willingly, often for a long time, talk about it. Each year, however, the world welcomes many more such works. Soon it becomes clear to the work that it is part of a larger literary world. Over the years, it becomes increasingly difficult for such works to distinguish themselves from others, although literary creation doesn’t necessarily aim to capture the attention of everyone. Unique in content and protected by copyright, it remains interesting for people who feel particularly connected to it.

Respect for the Written Word

A literary work also likes to “travel.” Also in Austria, it utilizes a “special network” in the form of book exchange boxes and outdoor libraries, where it waits its turn among other books, brochures, and even CDs and DVDs.

Some of these “book terminals” include brief conditions outlining the rules of use. However, most of the ones I’ve encountered or regularly visited over the years rely on slogans that simply encourage the casual exchange of publications—often even without requiring anything to be left behind in return. In practice, as I’ve observed, both locals and random visitors gladly bring their own copies so that someone else can become acquainted with them. At the book exchange station shown in the photo above, located in Buchberg am Kamp, Lower Austria, I even noticed short publication series tied neatly with a gray decorative string. This gesture expresses not only respect for the written word itself but also kindness toward the next reader.

A Personal Journey of Discovery

Publication exchange points often take the form of repurposed old telephone booths, as illustrated in the title photo of this article [1]. Others are part of a larger setup, such as a covered rest area where you can read the local information board or simply relax while pouring water into a prepared bowl for your dog.

Another such location—like the facility at the bus stop in Paasdorf, a cadastral municipality of the Lower Austrian town of Mistelbach—boasts the unique character of a small covered reading room, half-glass and half-open [2]. I’ve also come across book terminals, for instance, in a branch of a local municipal office [3], in a shopping center [4], on a square in Vienna [5], and at urban recycling centers (German: Mistplatz) set up as book cabins.

Thanks to the internet [6], it is easy to pinpoint the location of many book exchange points. However, as I’ve observed in Austria, the lists are not complete. Travelers still have a good chance of discovering new points as long as they leave the main roads and venture on an expedition through towns and villages.

Treasures of Literature

Thanks to the “special network for traveling books,” I’ve been able to place many publications there over the years—for example, novels that once found their way into my library but might hold greater value for someone else. I also frequently discover true literary treasures—books that deal with Austrian history in general or focus on a specific region, sometimes even a village, sketching a picture from prehistory to the present. These materials enrich my bibliography and my understanding, although I always bear in mind the principle that “To the making of many books there is no end, and much devotion to them is wearisome to the flesh” [7]. Even lying on the couch and reading books should be done in moderation…

Interestingly, I have not yet encountered any acts of vandalism against book stands. All the facilities I know are in good technical condition, clean and tidy—with a minimum of 100 books. Moreover, I don’t believe that the materials provided there contain an electronic system for tracking their lifecycle. Such a measure would at least require clear information and user consent—not to mention the technical and organizational challenges involved.

The possibility of taking books “on a journey” and paying them full attention in the privacy of my home before sending them back on their way enriches my understanding of the world, brings intellectual pleasure, and contributes to the creation of regional studies articles like this one, which I hope readers will find both interesting and practical.

The article is a semi-machine translation of the original in Polish.

References

1. [↑] External link to the website (in German) of the Kobersdorf municipality, where the adaptation of a telephone booth into a book exchange point is mentioned. From the press article (in German) available via this external link, one can infer that this adaptation took place in the summer of 2024.
2. [↑] Paasdorf: External link to the Street View view in Google Maps.
3. [↑] Branch of the Municipal Office in Dürnstein—a town in the Krems-Land district of Lower Austria.
4. [↑] Huma Eleven—shopping center in the Simmering district of Vienna.
5. [↑] Vienna: External link to the Street View view in Google Maps.
6. [↑] External links to Wikipedia (in Germen): Locations of many literature exchange points in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.
7. [↑] External link to the biblical verse quoted from Ecclesiastes 12:12b in the New World Translation.