On a street in the Malvarrosa neighborhood, a few meters from the beach, hides a bookstore where books find a second, third or fourth life. It is “El Club de los Libros Libres”, a project born from the passion of a man, Rafael, who five years ago decided to create a sanctuary to save copies from oblivion and, at the same time, to promote reading in a way accessible to all.
The premises, crammed from floor to ceiling with thousands of volumes that form aisles and mountains of paper, works with a simple philosophy: for a one-time contribution of 11 euros a year, members can take as many books as they wish. There are no limits or loan tokens. As one of the phrases painted on its façade says, “here books look for people”.
The impact of this initiative has exceeded all expectations. As its founder explains in a video by Valentina Viejo (@losviajesvalen), in these five years of life “more than 200,000 books have been saved” that otherwise would have ended up in the trash.
The club thrives on donations from individuals who empty their homes and don’t want to get rid of their libraries. “If they have books in their homes, they can save them here,” Valentina Viejo explains in the video.
The project has not only had a great local impact, but its fame has crossed borders. “We’ve had 5,000 people come from all over the world,” says Rafael proudly.
How El Club de los Libros Libres works
To become part of this reading community, the only requirement is to make a contribution of 11 euros, which entitles you to be a member for a whole year.
Once inside, visitors can explore the labyrinth of books and take home any copy that catches their attention. The idea is that the books circulate, are read and, if desired, return to the club so that others can enjoy them.
Rafael, who in the beginning tried to maintain order, now recognizes that “it is impossible with the amount of books he has”. But that apparent chaos is part of the charm, an invitation to adventure and discovery. “This is pure magic, truly magical things happen here in this place,” he assures.
El Club de los Libros Libres is located at Calle Fuente Encarroz, number 6, in Valencia.