A Floating Library and a Bookstore on Wheels

When it comes to reading 2k14, things have gotten pretty creative lately. Florida Polytechnic University just opened a bookless library, and now, there's a floating library in New York City and a traveling bookstore in Europe. Sure, you can step into a normal library, and I'm all for that, but this stuff is also worth opening your mind to.

On Sept. 6, a pop-up floating library will set sail on New York’s Hudson River aboard the iconic Lilac Museum Steamship at Pier 25. The buoying book collection will feature an array of works “from underrepresented authors, artist books, poetry, manifestoes,” among other classic books that readers can enjoy along the ship’s main deck-turned-reading-lounge overlooking the water, according to the project's website. The pop-up, created by artist Beatrice Glow, will remain open until Oct. 3, at which point a large portion of the book collection will be donated to local high school students in need.

Creative, nautical, and philanthropic — what more could you ask of a library? (And FYI: Apparently this isn’t the first floating library either — artist Sarah Peters crafted one that graced the waters of Minneapolis' Cedar Lake last year).

In Portugal, reading has gotten a vogue-meets-vintage upgrade via a retro bookstore on wheels. Called “Tell a Story” and housed within a 1975 Renault Estafette, the transient bookshop that began roaming the streets of Portugal just last year features a slew of Portuguese titles translated into various languages. And now the owners, a trio of Portuguese lit-lovers, have their sights set on purchasing a second vehicle with hopes of traversing Europe, according to ozy.com. Maybe a third will eventually take these great Portuguese stories on a road trip through America?

As you can see in the photo, it certainly beats your average foldable table-turned-streetside-book-vendor:

I've said it before and I’ll say it again — now that tech has changed everything, the way we read has undergone a pretty rapid evolution, too. How could these offbeat innovations not make anyone — book nerds and non-readers alike — want to drop everything and dive into a good book? Can’t wait to see what’s next. …

Images: tellastory/facebook