New York City is a petri dish wherein cool, innovative things grow--like phone booth libraries. John Locke, an architect in NYC, recently took on a literary repurposing project. Phone booths, which still ornament NYC streets, have become nostalgic landmarks in the city. More people than ever now have cell phones and, if I had to guess, fewer people than ever carry spare change in their pockets (Dollars? Quarters? If I ever need to use a pay phone, let's hope it takes my card). While the phone booths throughout NYC are still useful (a shelter during inclement weather, a place to make out), Locke's newest project has turned some phone booths into mini-libraries, thus making the phone booths exponentially more useful than before. Locke has outfitted these phone booth libraries with fitted shelves. Pedestrians are invited to take, borrow, or exchange books from the shelves within these booths. Which other commonly found, stationary objects do you think will be repurposed in the years to come? Will trash cans be our new food pantry drop-off bins? Will bus stops one day be on-the-go charging stations?

Filed under: Activism, Arts and Culture, Learning, North America, United States, News