#34 The freedom to read // Political education at the bookstore

The task of our ideas pool is also to think about political education in unusual places - places where people might not expect it at first. Today it's about political education at the bookstore. People come here to look for stories when, information, gifts or something to pass the time while waiting for the next train. They search through the shelves and sometimes it happens that they let themselves drift from colorfully designed covers to stimulating-sounding titles and so on.

Inspired by numerous TikTok videos that were published during the "Freedom to read Week" in February, we came up with the following idea: books that are censored, burned or banned in certain places around the world are marked on bookshelves with signs, posters or small stickers. A short text describes why they are banned. While browsing in the bookshop, political education is almost a side effect. The special location of this project could also appeal to people who would otherwise not attend political adult education events.

This idea is of course also conceivable in the library or in other places that are equipped with books (e.g. reading cafés).

Alternatively, the idea can also be implemented even more prominently with a display in the entrance area or by setting up a themed corner on the "freedom to read".