I spotted the first book bench inside the lobby of the British Library. ADORABLE! I couldn’t take a photo of it because no photographs were allowed inside the Library. Also, there was a man sitting in the middle of it. Too, it was poor lighting. (Poor lighting in a library, you say? Yes, I answer, for photography, anyway.) Later we spotted another book bench at the Tower of London and later yet near St. Paul’s Cathedral.  They are new. There are more. This trip wasn’t intended as a treasure hunt for book benches, but I could see that as a London goal! It was fun stumbling upon three of them. They are very unique and whimsical.

With more and more readers reading from electrical devises, this artsy-bench is a lovely throw-back. I mean, can you see yourself sitting on an iPhone bench? Not quite the same feelings as on a book bench. Besides, what about those unintentional phone calls when you sit down?

When we visited Canterbury, I spotted a lovely little second-hand bookstore (yes, I HAD to buy a book in there). On the tip-top self, out of reach without a step-stool, they’d displayed books with folded down pages into different art forms. I wasn’t quite sure if I was offended or delighted with this. If it were one of my books, I’d be offended. However, if they were made from books which the owner found disgusting or would never-ever sale, then changing them into true art is an entirely different matter.

EBooks are handy and available, and my own books are available in both print and eForm. But how could you ever (even how horribly written it might be) make an art form out of an eBook?

LONG LIVE PHYSICAL BOOKS WITH PAPER AND SPINES!

(For an article on the London Book Benches, check out:  https://www.yahoo.com/travel/london-books-about-town-art-benches-91760077992.html )