"A Swedish Library Forgot to Close Its Doors and Something Beautiful Happened."https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/public-library-restoring-trust-in-humanity-repubz/

[knowprose@mastodon.social]

@petersuber wow.

We humans can be amazing.

[gjm@mathstodon.xyz]

@petersuber It's a bit weird that the article is accompanied by a photo of a library in Gothenburg ... that _isn't_ the library in Gothenburg that the story is actually about.

[gjm@mathstodon.xyz]

@petersuber Actually, it's even weirder. The image accompanying your post, which I assume is extracted from some version of the article, _is_ of the correct library. (I think.) But when I follow the link to the article itself it's got only one image, which isn't that one but a picture of the interior of an entirely different library in Gothenburg.

[shakespearenut@mastodon.nz]

@petersuber Interestingly, something similar happened at some supermarkets in NZ when doors opened automatically on a day the supermarket was supposed to be closed. People came in and did their shopping and used the self checkout. Some realized there were no staff and called it in, but no one took anything. It’s a reminder that humans can actually be socially responsible.

[gustodon@mas.to]

@petersuber The conversation in America:

"Hey, free books!"

"What's a book?"

(Yes, I'm an American, and gray with embarrassment.)

[richardinsandy@c.im]

@petersuber what a lovely story.

[kierkegaanks@beige.party]

@petersuber the most nordic story of the year

[plumbert@thecanadian.social]

@petersuber Five years later: Gothenburg City Council Votes to Lay Off all library staff and replace them with an enhanced self serve system and automated door locks.

[3janeta@beige.party]

@petersuber love it

[riggbeck@mastodon.social]

@petersuber

The same effect is achieved by a local council cutting costs. Our public library shares a building with a gym, swimming pool and cafe. Often the building is open for these other services, but there's not enough money to staff it fully with librarians. So you can go in anyway and even take out books at the main desk in the foyer. It works well.