{"id":168278,"date":"2025-09-07T22:08:20","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T22:08:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/over-200000-books-for-just-11-euros-a-year-welcome-to-the-free-books-club-in-valencia-a-true-paradise-for-lovers-of-printed-paper\/"},"modified":"2025-09-07T22:08:22","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T22:08:22","slug":"over-200000-books-for-just-11-euros-a-year-welcome-to-the-free-books-club-in-valencia-a-true-paradise-for-lovers-of-printed-paper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/over-200000-books-for-just-11-euros-a-year-welcome-to-the-free-books-club-in-valencia-a-true-paradise-for-lovers-of-printed-paper\/","title":{"rendered":"Over 200,000 books for just 11 euros a year. Welcome to ‘The Free Books Club’ in Valencia, a true paradise for lovers of printed paper."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In a city like \u00a0Valencia\u00a0, not precisely lacking in second-hand libraries<\/a>, a project has emerged that transcends the mere business of used books. This initiative is \u00a0The Free Books Club\u00a0, which functions as a unique amalgamation of a \u00a0bookstore, social club, and NGO\u00a0 aimed at book lovers. For a minimal fee, members can take home as many books as they wish.<\/p>\n

The visionary behind this project is \u00a0Rafael Soriano\u00a0, a passionate advocate for reading who embodies the club’s philosophy: “All books are jewelry; some just need a bit of care. That’s the purpose of the club: to rescue books and transfer them from good hands to others, creating an immense library of people who want to continue nurturing these stories.”<\/p>\n

Rafael believes that every single book has value. As he puts it, \u201cA book can feel like a brick, but if you find a page, a paragraph, or a text that resonates with you, that makes it a good book.\u201d The Free Books Club offers an \u00a0affordable membership fee of just 11 euros per year\u00a0, allowing members to borrow as many books as they like (and donating does not require membership). The club’s goal is to ensure that no book goes unread, although this mission is not without its challenges.<\/p>\n

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One of the challenges has been space; Rafael lost track of the number of volumes in their collection when he hit 200,000. The sheer number has led to a situation where they can no longer classify or catalog the books adequately. With no room left in their original premises, Rafael and his team have turned to members for help. \u201cWhen someone requests a large donation\u2014say, twelve or fourteen boxes of books\u2014we often can\u2019t accommodate them in the Valencia premises,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

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The project has developed into a fully \u00a0collaborative effort\u00a0. The club’s website plays a pivotal role in arranging for storage solutions and facilitating donations. \u00a0Currently, there are an estimated 300,000 “saved” books\u00a0, a figure Rafael takes great pride in. Looking ahead, they have plans for expansion, including the establishment of another similar club in Padr\u00f3n, A Coru\u00f1a.<\/p>\n

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Additionally, an agreement has been struck allowing club members to directly \u00a0exchange books\u00a0 without needing to pass through the Valencia premises, using the website as a meeting hub. Rafael envisions a future where similar clubs exist in other provinces, enabling members to take a book in Valencia, leave it in C\u00e1ceres, and pick up another in Barcelona.<\/p>\n

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The Guardian of Books<\/h2>\n

Interestingly, Rafael Soriano\u2019s journey to becoming a \u00a0guardian of books\u00a0 began in a much different field: \u00a0computing\u00a0. “I started computer studies before there were dedicated faculties for it,” he recounted. After years of programming, he transitioned to managing a bar-restaurant, overseeing over thirty employees at a beach location.<\/p>\n

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Despite having various career paths, Rafael found himself looking for a purpose after nearly a decade in the hospitality industry. \u201cI wasn\u2019t quite ready for retirement, but I didn\u2019t want to be idle at home either. That\u2019s when the idea for the club took root,\u201d he explains. This venture turned out to be a labor of love, a place to cultivate his passion for literature.<\/p>\n

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In essence, The Free Books Club represents more than just a common bookstore; it serves as a \u00a0sanctuary for old books\u00a0, providing them with a new lease on life through community involvement. As Rafael aptly puts it, \u201cHere, everything is paper. Though it may seem like a chaotic collection, under the right hands, it transforms into treasure.\u201d<\/p>\n

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As the conversation around sustainability and the importance of literacy in community settings continues, projects like The Free Books Club provide invaluable resources to those who wish to explore the literary world without the hefty price tag. This innovative approach demonstrates that love for books can flourish in a community-driven environment, ultimately benefiting all.<\/p>\n


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General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a city like \u00a0Valencia\u00a0, not precisely lacking in second-hand libraries, a project has emerged that transcends the mere business of used books. This initiative is \u00a0The Free Books Club\u00a0, which functions as a unique amalgamation of a \u00a0bookstore, social club, and NGO\u00a0 aimed at book lovers. For a minimal fee, members can take home […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":168280,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36399],"tags":[468,2609,4849,656,6106,9496,827,24771,7538,20237,159],"class_list":["post-168278","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-books","tag-club","tag-euros","tag-free","tag-lovers","tag-paper","tag-paradise","tag-printed","tag-true","tag-valencia","tag-year"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168278","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=168278"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168278\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/168280"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168278"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=168278"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=168278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}