TOH edition: Thursday, 17 September 2026 · Culture & Life
No Locks, No Guards, Just Trust: Two Friends Put Free Book Cabinets in Ahmedabad's Parks, and Readers Flocked to Them
Reported by The Better India
Publisher date:
In public parks across Ahmedabad, two college friends have installed open, unmonitored wooden book cabinets, inviting anyone passing by to take or read a title for free. In busy spaces like Parimal Garden, children pause for comic books, elders read on park benches, and students borrow paperbacks entirely on the honour system. The grassroots initiative has transformed shared public green spaces into spontaneous, trusting community libraries.
When young people create public resources founded on trust rather than policing, communities routinely prove that generosity and civic care are alive and well.
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