If you happen to live in the area of Carmel, Indiana, then you may be familiar with the Merchant Square Supermarket. If you were to go into the grocery store these days, however, he would find the aisles were full of books and not food.
The Carmel Clay Public Library has recently taken over that former grocery store and transformed the space into a temporary library.
When posting on Instagram, the library asked what is better than pork and beans? They then answer their own question, telling you it’s an aisle full of large print books!
Most people have probably never seen a supermarket being used as a public library before but it is a practical decision. While the library is being renovated, which will likely take at least a year, the grocery store has all the necessary shelves in place.
It isn’t only the shelves that are being used, even the refrigerators and freezers are full of books at this time. According to an ilovelibraries interview, the communications manager of the library, Christy Walker, said: “Biographies and periodicals are now located in the freezers. Audiobooks now sit where deli meats used to be. Part of our children’s department is in what used to be the wine section.”
She then went on to add how much the community has enjoyed looking for books in a place where they used to go for food. Check out some of the photos below: