It has lent over 53,000 books to readers... Epos: The world's first floating library off the coast of Norway.
Knowledge Affairs – Special
It was the world’s first floating library dedicated to displaying books: the library ship Epos, which operated in the counties of Hordaland, Sogn og Fjordane, and Møre og Romsdal in Norway.
It created a form of interaction and communication with coastal residents, traveling from one port to another and from one shore to another, carrying knowledge, learning, and culture within it, while allowing all readers from different social groups to borrow books.
The ship Epos began operating as a floating library in 1959, visiting small communities in the three counties twice a year. In 2005, the ship operated for 126 days a year and lent 53,300 books. In 2020, the ship’s final voyage was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the service officially came to an end. With its collection of books, it was transformed into a literary club where literary and cultural events are held.
In 1963, an upgraded ship was built specifically to serve as a floating library, replacing the old vessel. It was constructed at the “Oma Yard” shipyard and measured 24 meters (80 feet) in length. The ship is owned by the company “Fjords Skipsservice” and is used for summer tourist cruises, allowing library visitors to board and watch films, meet authors, and browse books more freely.
Various Activities:
The Norwegian coastline contains a number of islands that can only be reached by boats or small ships, particularly during the winter. Because many of these communities are too small to establish their own libraries, librarians on the mainland devised a way to bring books to these isolated readers: a library ship.
The ship could accommodate 6,000 books, in addition to 20,000 books on loan at any given time. It also frequently offered cultural activities for children, presented by artists who provided entertainment such as clown shows, puppet performances, musical performances, and theatrical productions. Often, this was the only cultural service available in the places the ship visited. The ship’s crew consisted of a captain, a skilled sailor, three librarians, and one or two artists. The service was funded by the participating county libraries.
The Epos was a pioneering vessel in the field of floating libraries. It generally operated between September and April, visited more than 150 small towns across three counties, and offered a variety of cultural events.
Footnotes:
· Electric Literature – The Weirdest Libraries Around the World
