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Reading a book while riding the subway is nothing new, but Poland’s capital has recently taken that trend to the next level. Nestled in Warsaw’s Targówek district is a new subterranean library, offering locals a radical alternative to smartphone usage during their commutes.
Metroteka opened its 150-square-meter (about 1,615-square-foot) space in the Kondratowicza M2 line station earlier this month. Inside, visitors can explore some 16,000 books, all available for loan through an “express” checkout machine. Aside from its vast assortment of literature, the shop boasts a communal area, where laptops can be borrowed on the spot and complimentary coffee is served.
“Our dream is for Metroteka to become an educational and cultural center, and not just a place where you can borrow your books from,” Grażyna Strzelczak-Batkowska, deputy director of Targówek library, told the The Guardian.
Perhaps nothing encapsulates that goal better than the library’s inventive design. Within the shop is a lush, hydroponic garden wall that, quite miraculously, operates without the help of sunlight or soil. There, basil, oregano, and other fresh herbs grow alongside flowers, imbuing the space with a natural essence. Bookshelves are equally organic in their shape, rippling across the walls like white waves.
“I always joke that books are not made of glass,” says Strzelczak-Batkowska. “You can just pop in, grab a few, throw them on a self-checkout machine, and that’s it, you’re out on a new adventure.”
With its expansive collection and upcoming author meet-and-greets, workshops, and classes, Metroteka aims to encourage greater literacy—both within and beyond the metro. This past year, the National Library of Poland’s annual survey found that only 41% of respondents read at least one book in 2024. For Poland’s National Library director Tomasz Makowski, the statistics aren’t necessarily surprising, given the country’s historical and cultural circumstances. During World War II, for instance, Poland lost 70% of its libraries.
“We had several generations that did not see their parents or grandparents in front of a wall of books,” Makowski lamented. “Reading is [also] not something associated with adulthood, but with schools, teachers, librarians, and usually mothers reading to children.”
Even so, Makowski is optimistic that Metroteka can serve as an unprecedented solution, encouraging new and older generations alike to engage with literature.
“Opening a library in a metro station is like a dream for us,” Makowski adds. “Libraries should be beautiful and open; inviting, not intimidating. It’s not a shrine, but a place where you can spend time freely, take part in discussions, public consultations, or meet people.”
Metroteka is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Books on-loan can be returned at the library or through street-level parcel lockers, available every day, at any time.
Poland has launched a new initiative to encourage literacy in its capital city.
Established earlier this month, Metroteka is a subterranean library in a Warsaw metro station.
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It boasts some 16,000 books available for commuters, residents, and visitors alike.
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Check out this quick little tour of the subterranean library and how it operates:
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Sources: Warsaw opens metro station ‘express’ library to get commuters off their phones; Warsaw Launches Unique ‘Metroteka’ Library in Metro Station
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