Russell Wattenberg wanted to spread the power of the written word, so he transformed a Baltimore warehouse into a makeshift library. The best part? Anyone can walk into “The Book Thing,” and take any of the 7,000 books home with them for free.
The building is a booklover’s paradise where learning and discovering passions is encouraged. For the last 17 years, Wattenberg has run the community ‘library’ so people of all ages could explore the shelves in search of something that piqued their interest.
Wattenberg wants people to take advantage of the warehouse’s contents. “[It’s] all free. We encourage shoplifters,” he told CBS.
The warehouse has been a staple of the city for almost 20 years, and when the building burnt down last year, the community donated ‘library fees,’ and participated in fundraisers so he could reopen The Book Thing.
Thanks to the book purveyor’s love of reading, Wattenberg has created a comfortable place where anyone can wander the rows of bookshelves and get lost in the content.
