The City of Opatija is a Free Reading Zone

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From No Shelf Required:

No Shelf Required is pleased to announce the launch of a new FREE READING ZONE under its leadership in the Adriatic city of Opatija, known for its promenade, luxury hotels, and a long history of cultural and business tourism. Starting today, on World Tourism Day, Opatija becomes an open virtual library, called Opatija Reads, accessible to all people inside the city limits, without a library card or access code. To celebrate this milestone, the city is enveloped with flags bearing the signature FREE READING ZONE logo and featuring quotes about the importance of reading and access to books.

“At the core of the FREE READING ZONE Project lies the belief that the power of technology to transform how books and knowledge reach us is profound. We can do with them what we have never been able to do with paper books,” said Mirela Roncevic, Director of No Shelf Required. “The city of Opatija today stands as an inspiration to other tourist destinations, because it shows that the tourism industry can be transformed through technology,” added Roncevic.

“Technology has long been breaking down barriers, equalizing access to content and information, and connecting people. We have created an unbreakable relationship with it. Because of it, we read news freely, listen to music freely, even watch movies freely. Why should the book not be given the same chance to reach the widest audience possible?,” added Roncevic. “The eye-catching installation in the city’s center symbolizes our passion to connect human thoughts, ideas and knowledge in inextricable ways. Today in Opatija, tomorrow in New York, the day after tomorrow in Aleppo.”

Link to the rest at No Shelf Required

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https://youtu.be/szIS8BKuxZ4

4 thoughts on “The City of Opatija is a Free Reading Zone”

  1. Does this mean they make books free only with permission, or are they pirating books?

    Sharing, making stuff accessible, all sounds great, as long as it’s with the copyright holder’s permission. Otherwise, maybe we should make plumbing, food, etc. etc. free for all. If writers don’t get paid, we’ll need that to survive.

    Sorry if I come across as grumpy. Long experience has made me skeptical of do-gooders.

    • Ah, but Jacqueline – artists are essential to civilization, and therefore should be supported by the government, not worrying about the commercial appeal of their works.

      Amazing how many artists have the naive belief that their art will be appealing to the government. Unless it is extolling the (current) government, of course.

      • Yeah I’m pretty sure that sci-fi isn’t something the government is ever going to support. This sure sounds like they are pirating the books.

        @PG, do you know anything about the laws of said country?

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