Book Review: 2026 Nonfiction Challenge #2

Hidden Libraries: The World’s Most Unusual Book Depositories

by D. C. Helmuth

Published: November 2024

Summary from Goodreads:

Confession:

While on the surface this is a book about books and libraries, it is also a story of communities and the importance of reading. Many of the libraries listed in this book exist because the community it resides in saw a need and fought to make it a reality. I might argue that many of these are not really hidden, just hard to find unless you know who to ask or where to look.

The book is split up into six geographical sections, which was great. It would have been nice if there had been a page letting you know when the switch happened, but otherwise the layout of the book was good. Each library had two to three pages with photos of either the library itself or the area where it is found. Each library also had a spot on the first page with the address or who to contact to find it and when possible if it is open to the public.

All of the libraries in this book were interesting. Most are still functioning today, although some are not open to the public. These were libraries that hold ancient texts, or religious ones that are protected. There are also a few mentioned that no longer exist, or perhaps never existed (the Tsar’s Library). But I really enjoyed learning about the ones that still support their communities and especially the children.

Some of these libraries you have probably heard of, like the Bibiloburro in South America, or the Haskell Free Library which straddles the border of the US and Canada. But many of them you probably never heard of.

Some of my favorites were:

• The Library in the Eas Mor Woods in Scotland
• The Waterproof library (it’s inside a an old store refrigerator) in New Zealand
• The Magdeburg Open-Air Library in Germany which started as old beer crates
• The Rapana Street Library in Bulgaria which sadly no longer exists
• Kurkku Fields’ Underground Library in Japan
• The Future Library in Norway
• The Little Free Library at the South Pole (really!)

All of these libraries have interesting histories and stories which were a delight to read. I enjoyed this book and found it to be a very easy read. If you are at all interested in books and libraries this is a book I recommend you give a chance.