Technological advancements have cast doubt on the longevity of some industries and services. No other piece of public space is as threatened by this change as the public library. However, book lovers around the world are proving that it doesn’t take much to start a library- just a few shelves and some books.

These informal libraries are a frequent meeting place for backpackers across South East Asia. Trending City previously highlighted the use of the iconic phone booth serving as public libraries across the UK and now this movement is prevalent in many North American Cities.

Ourshelves is a lending library located in San Francisco. This library is open to anyone, no matter how little they can pay or where they live. The goal was to provide places where reading material is often hard to find with access to books.

The results are impressive: over 3,000 books have been borrowed and there have been virtually no theft or misplaced books. Ourshelves, plans to expand their network to safe houses, shelters and other underutilized public spaces around the San Francisco Area. As a result, it joins other innovative book lending efforts, such as Little Free Library in demonstrating that a library can be created out of almost anything.