Hidden Libraries: The World’s Most Unusual Book Depositories

by DC Helmuth

Discover 50 of the world's most magnificent hidden libraries — each with a unique and uplifting story to tell — featuring a foreword by librarian, bestselling author, and literary critic Nancy Pearl.

Book swap your latest read in a cool 1950s style fridge in New Zealand or hike through the ethereal woodlands of Eas Mor in Scotland where a hidden library in a small log cabin awaits. Each entry shares the library's mission and impact on the local community and offers fascinating stories from its resident caretaker.

Inside Hidden Libraries:

- 50 enchanting, obscure and astounding libraries from around the world
- Fascinating insider knowledge and unique stories from each library's resident caretaker
- Captivating photos accompany every entry and the exact location of each hidden library is revealed

Featured libraries include:
North America - Idaho: Little Free Library in a Cottonwood Tree; California: The Prison Library Project.
South America - Argentina: The Weapon of Mass Instruction; Colombia: The Biblioburro.
Africa - Egypt: St Catherine's Monastery; Mali: The Timbuktu Manuscripts.
Asia & the Middle East - China: The Lonely Library; Philippines: Reading Club 2000.
Europe - England: Phone Booth Library; Norway: The Future Library.
Oceania & Beyond - Antarctica: The Little Free Library at the South Pole; Outer Space: The International Space Station Library

Written by Diana Helmuth, an award winning author who writes about subjects including travel, nature, and philosophical trends

From the rare to the romantic, this extraordinary guide to our planet's hidden libraries makes the ultimate gift for literature lovers, adventurers, and dreamers alike. Nothing brings people together quite like a good book.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Books About Books, History, Photography, 21st Century

208 pages, Hardcover

First published November 5, 2024

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helmuth has collected tidbits about 50 unusual libraries throughout the world in her work Hidden Libraries. Stunning photos accompany 2 to 3 pages of text about each. Just a few that are included: a Little Free Library in a cottonwood tree in Idaho; a library of ancient texts, some of which date back to the 4th century, in a monastary tucked away behind Mt. Sinai in Egypt; an underground library in Kurkka Fields, Japan; a library literally on the beach of the Black Sea in Albena, Bulgaria; and a mobile library carted on the back of a donkey in the Magdelena Valley in Colombia.

This book has lived in my kitchen for the past month for me to delightedly dip into anytime I had a wait while cooking, such as waiting for a pot to boil. It doubled the satisfaction of being in the kitchen. 😁

Publication 2024

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y’all I had no idea how much I needed this book this week. I sat down to flip through it and instead read it cover to cover in one sitting. I LOVED it.

Obviously it’s a book about books but what spoke to me most were the extraordinary people. What a great (and much needed) reminder of how many kind hearted people there are making the world a better place. Those who aren’t restricting others with book bans, but are finding new and creative ways to bring books to those without access. There are also beautiful libraries in unique locations, historic ones with many rare book and manuscripts, and other fun finds.

Each library has only a few pages about it, yet the impact from them was substantial. The author did a fantastic job telling the history and personal side to each one. As always, there is stunning photography throughout as well.

As much as I’ve loved other Lonely Planet books, this is my new fav. I can’t recommend it enough - it’d make a fantastic gift for book lovers too!

[Heather~ Nature.books.and.coffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. The pictures are gorgeous and the information is so interesting! 🤩

Thank you to the publisher and publicist who gifted me this book!

[Katie Faryniarz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply need to visit all of these!!!!

[Jessica (Odd and Bookish) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Lonely Planet) for promotional purposes.

This book is such a hidden gem!

It showcases 50 different “hidden” libraries from all around the world (plus outer space). Every library profile tells you how to find it (if applicable, some are no longer around and some are not open to the public). Also, all the photos have captions which I appreciated. One of my bookish pet peeves is when nonfiction books like these don’t include captions explaining the photographs.

I learned so much about these places and I definitely want to visit some of them! Some of my favorites were The Traveler Restaurant in Connecticut, The Haskell Free Library in Vermont/Quebec, Reading Club 2000 in the Philippines, and The Future Library in Norway.

The book is well organized. The libraries are listed based on geographic region (North America, South America, Asia, etc.), so it feels like you are taking a well planned out library trip around the world.

I loved the last library, which was The Banned Book Library located online. Book banning has become such a crisis; I’m glad there’s a way to access these books for free online.

Overall, this is a must read for book enthusiasts! It also makes a great gift and coffee table book.

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably 3.5, but Goodreads doesn’t allow half stars, so 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I would most likely skim through this book and mostly look at the pictures, but I found myself reading it cover to cover. It was interesting to read the history of all these unique libraries all over the world. I loved all the stories of people throughout history working to salvage books and distribute books to those who do not have easy access to libraries or bookstores. The content is organized nicely, and the pictures are captioned.

The Haskell Free Library and Opera House, which straddles the US and Canada border, has been on my bucket list for a few years, so I was excited to see it made an appearance in this book. 😃 Now I have a few more wish list libraries to add to my list!

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have some new life goals.

It’s inspiring to see some of the varied libraries that exist or have existed all around the world.

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book! I was familiar with some of them, such as the Beach Library and the one here in the US that's a Little Free Library in an old cottonwood tree. I think more than anything, though, this is an exploration of what a library can be, who can run/maintain one, and more than anything, how books are such a central concept to life-long education.

The sad chapters are the libraries that no longer exist, or, in the case of the Moscow Tsars, IF they existed. I hate the idea of books and history disappearing. Which is why I found it very fitting that this work ends with the Banned Book Library. Censorship attempts have definitely increased dramatically and I'm so thankful there are people who don't want anyone to go without access.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was most impressed with the efforts made all around the globe to bring books or other written materials to people who live in isolated areas. Some were reminiscent ofThe Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, as in Columbia, where burros are used, or Ethiopia where they use horses. In Kenya, there are camels. I also enjoyed seeing the incredibly ancient documents and scrolls stored in grottoes along the Silk Road in China, or in a remote monastery in Egypt. This is great collection that speaks to the importance mankind has placed upon access to, and preservation of, written information and stories.

[ツツ]

the airport library (heydar aliyev international airport, az1044 Baku, Azerbaijan) and the beach library (ananya area of beidaihe district, qinhuangdao city, china) are stunning, both in its concept and architecture.

for real I need to stop reading #coffee table books#, and read books with more substance.

snack read 12 of 2025

[Mary Mahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun and interesting read for both fact nerds and book lovers!

In no particular order, here are my top 5 libraries listed in the book:
1. Kurkku Fields’ Underground Library (Japan)
2. Library of Muyinga (Burundi)
3. The Biblioburro (Colombia)
4. Little Free Library in a Cottonwood Tree (ID, USA)
5. The Library in the Eas Mor Woods (Scotland)

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

{4} Libraries are just the coolest. 📚

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Fascinating!

[Carol Whetzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Equal parts history lesson, travel guide, and reality check. Literacy is still a gift not everyone receives, and dedicated people still travel by donkey, horse, and camel to deliver and read books to those in need. A lesson in humility for all we take for granted.

[Steve Willey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is actually a facinating book about many hidden libraries that the majority of us will never see. In fact of couple of them are memorials to libraries that have been lost to time. There are a handfull that would be wonderful to visit... Enjoy the book if you decide to read it. I would suggest getting it from the library.

[Barbara Arnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book. All entries are only 2-3 pages long and do worldwide coverage. Most are not really hidden but are somehow unique connecting readers and books. I was most impressed by the various ways of innovative methods individuals and groups achieved their goals. Some are well-known like the Biblioburro in Columbia where a man loads up his donkey to pass out books to kids in a remote valley. There are other similar projects; the horse library in Ethiopia and the bibliomotocarro in Italy and the van libraries serving the readers of the Hebrides Islands in Scotland. Closer to home is the Little Free Library in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho which is housed in a hollowed-out trunk of a Cottonwood tree and the Portland Street Books project which are bike powered carts of books serving people on the streets (they also offer reading glasses) who may not have a permanent residence or address to obtain a library card. Their carts have a sign on them with a quote from Toni Morrison; "Books are a form of political action. Books are knowledge. Books are reflection. Books change your mind."

[Cindy Davis- Cindy's Book Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no intention of reading the entire Hidden Libraries book, but it is a fascinating read.

The beauty of this book, aside from its focus on books, is that it provides a bit of history about each library, accompanied by pictures. I loved reading about the people who started each of these libraries, many of whom saw a need or had an abundance they wanted to share with others. It really restores your sense of humanity. As someone who loves books, I enjoy the idea of visiting some of these places, especially the ones on the same side of the world as me.

I highly recommend reading, or at least browsing through this book, to find out which libraries are close to you. They are all unique and worth a visit. My husband and I put two on our bucket list.

[Annu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun collection of 2-3 page articles on unusual libraries or library systems all around the world. So many stories of people working to bring books to areas or people who don't have access to them, really heartwarming.

Only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is a lot of the pictures were unrelated stock photos for the area/city the library was in. I would have loved another photo specific to the library. Still a great and fun book though.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book about hidden (or even inaccessible!) libraries around the world. Most are in fixed locations but some of them are mobile libraries carried on horses, camels, or small trucks; others no longer exist. Each one is explained over 4 pages with photographs. You keep wanting to find out what the next one is which keeps you reading. It is all about bringing the power of reading to as many people as possible, especially in disadvantaged areas. Wonderful.

[Alex Andrasik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photos. Inspiring stories. A lot of variations on the mobile library idea, which makes sense. My favorites tend to be the ones created by communities to fill voids. Ancient repositories are neat too. But the most fascinating may be the Future Library. Just a lot of cool info sharing hubs (except for the ones that are secret/exclusive. They're not so much info sharing hubs. But still neat and often pretty.)

I took way too long to read this and kept it out way too long. And I'm a librarian! Bad librarian.

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty coffee-table book—nice photos— but indifferently written and edited, and in the end less substantial than I would have liked, like a big compilation of Atlas Obscura entries. Books delivered by burro. And by horse. And by camel. And by three wheeled cart. In rural Italy. In rural Scotland. In Svalbard. In Antarctica. In Space. Etc etc.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I want to travel the world to visit all of these! And did you know you can go to The Banned Book club on line and read banned books thru their app called The Palace Project. Www.thebannedbookclub.info

[Sarah Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for anyone who loves books!

My favorites from the curated selection were the Street Books, Future Library, Kurkku Fields Underground Library, and of course, the Banned Book Library.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhh! Love this! 😍

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saw this book at a local independent bookstore while on a college visit with my son in April and had to have it. Started reading about a hidden library every once in a while. Then I received a copy as a gift on my birthday in June because the giver knew I love to visit unique spaces. Enjoyed that it was easy to read just a few pages about a library in the evening as part of relaxing before bed. And found the descriptions of unusual, historical, and lost to time libraries very interesting.

[Cade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though this was a fun read, it was clearly written by a non-librarian…one more “shush”-type joke and I was gonna scream. I loved seeing all the odd little libraries though.

[Shomeret · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a degree in library science, no one will be astonished to learn that I love libraries. Through Hidden Libraries by D. C. Helmuth, I discovered libraries whose existence was totally unknown to me.

For my complete review see https://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/2...

[Megan Carbiener · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're notorious for making pitstops at libraries whenever you visit a new city, then you'll love Hidden Libraries! For library lovers and adventurers, Lonely Planet takes you on a journey to discover 50 unique libraries across North & South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, Antarctica, & beyond. Explore libraries nestled into Cottonwood Trees and retrofitted phone booths, archives with hanging hammocks, and even the International Space Station's stash of intergalactic reads. Delight in captivating photos and start your bookish bucket list here!

Favorite Quote: “Access to a book is not a privilege, but a fundamental human right, offering both a means of escape and a haven from life's daily misfortunes.”

[Brie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable book. Helmuth shows us hidden libraries throughout the world. There is a perfect balance between text and images. Sometimes in books like this there is too much text or too little, but the amount for each entry here was perfect. The information included was interesting as well. The images are decent size and give a good idea of what the space looks and feels like. It was quite fun to discover all the different types of libraries out there. If you are a book lover, I would recommend this one.