If not us, then who?

It was the word of the day: carer. A nice word, everyone thought. As part of a project by HSZG students, a book boxx was opened on the Zittau market on Saturday, September 1st. Under constant rain, but with many visitors. Among them were many volunteers from the Zittau Literature Circle. The project was developed in cooperation with the Hillersche Villa, INBAK Berlin (Institute for Sustainability in Education, Work and Culture) and the HSZG.

A BücherboXX is a completely redesigned mini street library in a public cultural space, made from a discarded telephone box, which is accessible to everyone without restriction and serves as a free book exchange. The motto of the BücherboXX is: Take a book, bring a book, read a book!

If
[by Elisa Asamoah]

If not us, then who?
If not now, then when?
If not free, then caught,
If nothing be, then find appeal
If not open, then closed,
If a crime, then shot after all

The student project is intended to promote cultural interaction in the city of Zittau and act as an impetus for a permanent BücherboXX in Zittau. The principle of exchanging books is not new, but the implementation in a public cultural space is a novelty for Zittau.

During the trial period, the students will carry out a usage analysis and draw up an action plan for the continuation of the project. The project is geared towards sustainability: Books that have been read can find a new reader. In addition, the refurbished telephone box is equipped with a solar panel to ensure energy self-sufficient operation for the night-time interior lighting and illuminated advertising.

The Zittau BücherboXX will be tested at two locations, first at the market, where it will be accessible until October 18, and then in the upper Bautzener Straße from October 19 to November 30.

Initiator Jürgen Möldner from the Faculty of Social Sciences welcomed guests of honor such as Lord Mayor Thomas Zenker, Chancellor Karin Hollstein, Jens Hommel, Managing Director of the Hillersche Villa Socio-Cultural Center and Margarete Aßfalg from INBAK, Berlin, to the opening ceremony. Students involved in the project, such as Lucas Vogel and Anne Göpfert, led the small event with spoken word and musical contributions.

Jürgen Möldner certainly thought that INBAK's BücherboXX concept was also suitable for teaching in a university didactic context. "That's why I took it up as a teaching reference in the 4th and 5th semesters of the "Social Work" course in the Faculty of Social Sciences and was able to activate a collaboration." The HSZG teaching project, which is publicly visible and geared towards civic participation, but which is to be made permanent in the form of a permanent BücherboXX in public spaces in Zittau, quickly found project partners. The Hillersche Villa (as the future project sponsor) and the literature circle from which the network of actors and supporters, the caretakers, is to emerge. In the end, the BücherboXX is a low-threshold cultural offer for everyone. Fortunately.

 

If courage, then action,
If patience, don't keep me waiting
If not for good, then for evil,
If not, then let's solve it
If turmoil, then miserable,
If not many, then unsuccessful

Elisa Asamoah from the Hillersche Villa recited her self-written poem "If" and used her lines to emphasize the importance of language, words and books. Books that are available to us today in almost unlimited quantities. And from last Saturday, they will also be available on the Zittau market square, even free of charge.

If not dreaming, then acting,
If this is so, it will change
If the sun does not shine, then darkness comes,
If clouds pass by, then cheerfulness comes
If not loving, then heartfelt,
If passion fails, it becomes painful

 "On the one hand, I was interested in the vocational education approach and, on the other, the impact on the community," says Jürgen Möldner from the Faculty of Social Sciences in Görlitz. "In addition, the continuous work and further development of the concept by INBAK, which is both a project partner and a provider of ideas and know-how." The "Sustainable BücherboXX" was developed by INBAK as a vocational education project in 2010. It is an example of how the guiding principle of sustainable development can be implemented in vocational training and also in civil society. The basic concept has a variety of social, ecological, cultural and civic points of reference and effects. In Berlin alone, a network of more than 150 stakeholders has now been established around the BücherboXX. The concept has been transferred and further developed in many ways, with the result that almost twenty "sustainable BücherboXXes" will be completed in 2018. Aspects of cultural and political education, writing your own texts and renewable energy have been added to the value chain from expansion and conversion to use.

If not virtue, then stupidity,
If reason dies at the same time
If everything written here is negated,
it may be that this poem loses its meaning with the word "if" !

The project received prominent support at the opening: SILLY was at the BücherboXX in the afternoon and gave away a book and a free ticket for her concert that evening in Zittau. This campaign was then published both on her Facebook page and via Zittau-live .

SILLY had been informed about the campaign in advance in silence and it was only to be launched and publicized online once the   books with the free tickets had been posted. This worked very well.

Background information on INBAK/ BücherboXX

Documentation of all "BücherboXX activities"