Ex Libris gives away books to promote the joy of reading

Burying your nose in a good book doesn't just help you wind down after a stressful day and get your mind off things. Reading has been proven to be healthy. It helps reduce stress, prevents dementia and can even help people live longer, according to a study by Yale University in the US. Reading also contributes to children's development, improving vocabulary, spelling and general knowledge.

Facts and Figures on the Reading Behavior of the Swiss:inside

Reading books promotes health

Ex Libris is more than aware of the positive aspects of reading. Switzerland's largest online bookseller equips the Swiss population with sufficient reading fodder. "Whether it's guidebooks, recipe books, literature, non-fiction or novels - reading is always a good idea," says Daniel Röthlin, corporate director of Ex Libris. "Especially in this day and age, it's good to take your eyes off screens for a change and spend some time with a good book." To promote the joy of reading, Ex Libris is launching a nationwide poster campaign that invites people to join in, including an event at Zurich's main train station.

Books to share the joy of reading

Ex Libris will be present at 61 poster sites in German-speaking Switzerland from October 23 to November 5 - and not just with posters, but with bookshelves. They contain around 12,000 books from which passers-by can choose a new copy to browse through. "The books are given away - any person who loves to read or wants to discover their love of reading is welcome to take a book," Röthlin explains. "At select locations, people are also encouraged to put books back and give a treat to the next person." The categories of books vary by billboard location - for example, career guides can be found near the university in St. Gallen.

Meeting point: at the HB Zurich

To bring reading enthusiasts together, Ex Libris is creating a reading paradise at Zurich's main train station from October 23 to 25. In the middle of the large station concourse, not only can books be read, discovered and taken away - even literal leaps of joy are possible thanks to a trampoline. Visitors can have their picture taken in a giant book cover and thus immortalize their reading pleasure for themselves. So every form of reading pleasure is catered for at the main station.

Ex Libris was able to inspire well-known publishers to promote reading. Several Migros subsidiaries lent their support to the creation of the reading paradise on Zurich's main train station: Micasa, Do it + Garden, Chocolat Frey and Coffee B.

These publishers support the campaign 

• Lübbe and tree house
• Thienemann-Esslinger, Carlsen, Adrian Verlag, arsEdition, Münchener Verlagsgruppe (m-vg)
• dtv Verlagsgesellschaft GmbH & Co. KG
• Penguin Random House Publishing Group
• Piper
• Ravensburger
• TESSLOFF Publishing House Ragnar Tessloff GmbH & Co. KG
• Droemer Knaur Publishing Group GmbH & Co. KG
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• HarperCollins Publishing Group Germany GmbH

Details of the event at Zurich main station

• Date: October 23 to 25, 2023, from 09:00 - 20:00
• Location: HB Zurich, in the big hall under the angel