I have seen many kinds of street-side libraries where book lovers let passersby and neighbors take a book from the selection. If these readers have books they can donate, they may return a title into the selection. A Bookcrossing box in a city park, a stylish birdhouse filled with books on a wall of an artshop, or a bookshelf at the gate of a fruit farm are a few examples of street-side libraries.

But this one in Luzenac-Pouech, France was quite innovative. The tiny village of Luzenac is located at the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains. The lush environment indicates it rains pretty regularly in the region. A river flowing five meters from the library was filled with water in the middle of summer.

If you want to establish an outdoor library in an environment where it rains, cows eat grass next to the books, horses may check out the place from time to time, and fishermen walk up and down the riverside, books have to be protected from water and other risks.

What is better protection for books than an old fridge? Well, old desk is another place to have books, but the desk won’t last long outdoors. This one has metal drawers, but still. I have to visit this library in a year or two to see how it is doing.

Luzenac village as seen from Pouech.