The Environmental Committee of the Management of Health Services of the Lanzarote Health Area, attached to the Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, has launched the Reading in Motion project at the Doctor José Molina Orosa University Hospital, an initiative that combines the promotion of reading habits with sustainability, by giving a second life to used books in good condition.
The proposal, which began in July, aims to collect books that have already been read and are in good condition, in order to lend or give them to other people. These copies are available to patients, companions and professionals of the center, with the aim of offering moments of entertainment and well-being during their stay in the hospital. In addition, the books can be taken home if desired.
The initiative arises from the concern of the Environmental Committee to promote sustainable and humanizing actions in the hospital environment, and is inspired by similar experiences developed in other health centers, where its positive impact on the emotional well-being of both users and professionals has been demonstrated. Within this framework, the Traveling Shelf has been set up in the hospital lobby, a point of free exchange where anyone can take a book to read or leave another they want to share.
The Committee emphasizes that this project seeks to generate a space for meeting, leisure and sustainability within the health center, while promoting reading as a daily and pleasant habit. Therefore, both users and hospital staff are encouraged to approach the Traveling Shelf and participate in this initiative, thus contributing to the care of the environment through the reuse of books.