Library With A Purpose

Kristina Kearns seated in her small library.

In the Mission District of San Francisco, situated in a back room of the antique store VIRACOCHA, is a small curated library known as OURSHELVES. It costs members $10 per month to participate and it operates on the principle of take one, leave one.

Unlike many libraries, even the government supported public libraries, Ourshelves has literature from North America, Spanish, Chinese, a worldly mix. The curator and founder is Kristina Kearns, who established this space after seeing the intimate exchanges that could occur in a similar setting in Greece.



Ms. Kearns enlisted the help of editors, writers, and booksellers with whom she was acquainted, with the idea that people would be able to borrow books even if they couldn't afford the membership fees. It would be/is now interactive, with participants being able to suggest additions to the collection, and those would be posted as desired parts of a "wish list". Once a month writers and anyone else who wishes can participate in an open mic night, by reading quotes from favorite literature, which was not something written by the speaker.

But the purpose wasn't just to add to the collection and interact. The point was to raise funds to create libraries in places where people have no access to the public libraries. Places where libraries are being started include homeless shelters and housing for seniors and disabled individuals. There are plans to include libraries for a youth center and immigration support center.

And how has founder Kristina Kearns benefited from her project? She reports, "There was a moment an hour before opening day when I almost panicked. I had put together the books I care about most and, being a private person, felt overwhelmingly exposed all of a sudden. Some of these books define who I am and I've made that public. Overcoming shyness in order to promote the project has been one of the hardest, yet interesting and necessary aspects of the project." The people of San Francisco can certainly be thankful to Kristina for adding so much to their community.

A small-scale library allows for personal touches.

Thanks to the San Francisco Bay Guardian article: http://www.sfbg.com/2011/12/06/shelf-life, and The Awesome Foundation blog: http://blog.awesomefoundation.org/2011/11/01/ourshelves/.

Click here to visit Holidays to Europe.

Click here: STREAMLINE STARTUP