The people behind....

.... plant cutting libraries and book give away closets. 

Sometimes I forget it is not normal in other countries, (there I go again, like in the Philippines), as it is normal in the Netherlands. What is normal? In a lot of places you can find small closets on the streets with either plants or books.

The books and plants are to take, to lend, to borrow, to swap, to donate to, to exchange, to make others happy. I love those places! I really do. That makes the area you live more like a community. You are reading what your neighbours used to read.

Some stories.... One of my friends thinks it is tacky to check those places out and even worse to take something home. I am a member of some of the plant and book groups on Facebook, Stekjesroute (small cuttings route) and to Give away groups. On these groups you can meet the people, the initiators of those libraries. And you know.... they are so happy to make others happy! They are also demotivated when someone gets all the cuttings out at once or when someone takes all the books (to sell them, they guess). The motivation is to make others happy and they care for their closets. Last week someone wanted to have some magazines for a school project. I told the guy where to get the magazines, I just left in one of the book closets near my place. I also gave him some other adresses to check out, where some of the other library closets are. He took his bicycle and got some magazines, he was sooooo happy.

Yesterday I put some books in the book closet in the street, managed by Miss R. Miss R sometimes writes angry messages in the book closet, I am afraid to get a book (I am not a hoarder to make it clear), when I don't have a book to swap with me. Actually she was very nice and happy that I was happy and happy that the magazine guy was happy.

What goes around, comes around! Thank you to all the initiators of these community library book closets and plant cuttings closets. A nice initiative and not always easy, you have to make extra effort to make sure your closet is clean, up to date and not too cluttered. I will tell the story, tell others and will make a difference, will make people smile and read books, they may not have read before. Or have plants they take care of, they would otherwise not have in their collection.

Update: Actually since covid-19, there are community closets in a lot of places in the Philippines. In the community closets is food and are supplies available, for people who like to have it and can use it. How nice is that, people share and there is less hunger.