Where books mean the world – Portland, USA

Mobile librarians on the road. They bring books to places where people live on the fringes or on the sidelines and the nearest book is just too far away. They take us with them on their journeys and introduce us to the world of their readers. In this episode of the five-part documentary series, we are with Laura Moulton and Ben Hodgson in the USA. Portland is a city in the northwest of the United States, in the state of Oregon. As in many American cities, more and more people here can no longer afford the skyrocketing rents and live on the streets. But because these people also have a need to read and engage with literature, Laura Moulton founded her bicycle library Street Books in 2011. With two bicycles, each carrying a large box full of books above the front wheel, Street Books is on the road in the city every week with a total of seven volunteers. At fixed times and in specific locations, Street Books lends books to people who live on the streets. One of the first customers is Ben Hodgson, known to everyone as Hodge. At that time, he still lives on the street. Now he is part of the core group of the initiative and even delivers the books on his bike. It should be noted that Street Books is explicitly not an initiative that wants to get people off the streets and back into an orderly environment. It is about books, reading and exchanging ideas from person to person. This respectful interaction with customers has earned Street Books a great deal of respect. We meet various readers, Laura and Hodge, who are particularly happy when Street Books can fulfill their special book requests. Laura and Hodge are currently writing a book about their experiences with this unusual library.