Bibliofile will be an occasional column at The Standard, which will present bits and pieces from around the world related to the love of books.
Today’s offerings all come from Atlas Obscura, a website that features articles about sometimes little-known – but always very cool – people, places and things. “If you’re searching for miniature cities, glass flowers, books bound in human skin, gigantic flaming holes in the ground, bone churches, balancing pagodas, or homes built entirely out of paper, the Atlas Obscura is where you’ll find them.” Following is a selection of ten book-related articles that have been featured at the site:
1) Portable lighthouse libraries, distributed across the United States in the 19th century, were a common but important part of life for families living under the constant work and near-isolation of the lighthouse watch.
2) Why there are still Borders bookstores in Malaysia, or the strange case of the zombie