Almaty residents can now borrow books from city libraries right at the Adem shopping center, located at the start of the famous "barakholka" (flea market), reports infohub.kz.
According to the city administration's press service, the new book pickup point already has over 2,000 books. In the future, similar kiosks will appear in shopping centers in other districts of the city. This will help reach as many people as possible who want to return to reading paper books.
"In everyday life, it's not always possible to make a special trip to the library to borrow books. Now you can come here in your free time without leaving your workplace. I think this is a great opportunity not only for entrepreneurs and employees working here, but also for visitors to the shopping center," said Zalina, an entrepreneur.
The new book pickup point is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. It offers books in both Kazakh and Russian.
It is worth noting that outside of libraries, books can also be borrowed for free at Almaty metro stations and in some shopping centers, where the kiosks are self-service. At the flea market, however, a staff member will hand out books.
Earlier, it was reported that social media users were captivated by a library in the city of Kosshy, which was called one of the most beautiful in Kazakhstan.