Pub joins international book sharing scheme

A traditional community pub is launching itself into the international literary scene by setting up a global book sharing programme for its customers.

The Steamboat, in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, has become a designated BookCrossing zone where used books from around the world can be dropped off and collected.

The scheme encourages people to leave books at a different location to where they were found and to track the route of the book across the world using an online database.

Kathleen Brain, who has managed the pub for seven years, said: "We wanted to diversify the business as few people come to a pub just to drink these days.

"We realised that we can offer the perfect environment to quietly read a book and enjoy a pint, and hopefully it will increase our daytime trade."

Kathleen already runs a book club for 20 regulars at the pub, but she decided to join the international scheme after a customer found a discarded book, which was part of the BookCrossing programme, on a bench outside.

Kathleen hopes to tap into a ready-made network of more than 700,000 BookCrossers from 130 different countries who are always on the look out for new locations where they can exchange books.

"The scheme could work really well because of our location" said Kathleen. "We are a traditional seafarer's pub, so if we can get the sailors involved we can go truly global.

"Everyone seems to be really enthusiastic so far, and we've already had a great range of titles left on the bookshelf, including Judy Dench's Autobiography, Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom, and plenty of crime thrillers."