More Books than People

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The holder of this record is the Norwegian town of Mundal, which welcomes the most avid tourists and readers from May to September. The “book vocation” unites all the inhabitants of this town, so much so that it has earned the title of Norwegian Booktown. There is no snack bar, shop, waiting room or public office without books. It is estimated that Mundal, which numbers 280 residents, also has a “population” of at least 150,000 books. Four kilometers (2½ miles) of shelves full of texts to browse, buy or even photograph, spreading the culture of sharing and the sharing of culture. Every book lover is in paradise here, among second-hand shops, stalls and book shelves overlooking fjords and hundreds of quiet little places to sit and read in peace.