Meet Leslie and Sam Davol, who under their Street Lab nonprofit are trying to create an open-air reading room right here in NYC. There are six days left in their Kickstarter campaign, where they talk a little bit about what they're calling The Uni.
We're constructing a portable, open-air reading room called the Uni, which we will begin operating Fall 2011 in New York City. The Uni is a tool to share books, showcase the act of learning, and improve public space. It is a portable infrastructure, well-adapted to the urban environment, lightweight and partner-driven, that can offer books and learning experiences. Anywhere. If we're serious about having a well-educated society, then we think books and learning should be what is prominent, accessible, and all around us.
They say the structure will be used for many years, bringing books and programming to a wide variety of locations in the city. And further into the future, they believe the idea can be "replicated by municipalities, libraries, schools, and other institutions seeking to bring books and learning experiences to new locations." Of course, that's sort of been done before with these cute bookmobiles.
