The books were bought at a discount from Half-Priced Books, and were chosen by me and the owner of the books store. They are all books that one of us personally likes enough to vouch for it.
I needed the books to exist in a space, somewhere where they could feel natural, comfortable and inviting. To create this, I bought used furniture from a thrift store to set up what would end up being like a mini living room, a retreat in the middle of school in which kids could escape their studies and relax. I planned the installation to be placed in a student break room, in which people had the privacy and comfort to engage in the books without feeling the stress of a more public area..
I created signage that would draw people in through layers of identity, rewarding people who investigated further. The first sign people see is the largest and most simple, visually interesting to draw people in to the second sign, a framed explanation of my project, which asked people to relax with a book, take one home, enjoy them. Finally, hidden in the books themselves are bookmarks with full reviews of the books, written plainly and simply, motivating people to keep reading.
The end result:
