Thursday March 28th, 2024
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New Local Initiative Sets Up Free-For-All Book Stands in Downtown Cairo

Take one, leave one.

Staff Writer

Strolling through Downtown's iconic Alfy Pedestrian Boulevard on a warm autumn morning, something on the horizon felt out of the ordinary. Upon further inspection, we found ourselves standing before a free-for-all book stand casually placed in the middle of the rather busy Downtown street."Take one book and leave another," reads the sign on top of the compact wooden library, which also bears the name of a Nader Riad next to a number to call.

"This is our initiative to give back to the community of Cairo," explains Samir Labib, the executive assistant of Nader Riad, who is a notable Egyptian businessman, "Dr. Nader has always been resentful of the fact that most people have dozens of books that are mostly left on dusty shelves. We wanted to change that."

"We have put up 80 books in the two stands we have in Alfy Boulevard and Emad El-Din street. Not just any books though - we are focused on putting together a collection of must-read books by renowned authors," explains Samir, adding that theft is not a concern of their at the moment as they are fully trusting that Cairenes will appreciate the initiative and help it grow even further.