GET Free Books opened the doors to its first Scottish location at city centre shopping mall, Buchanan Galleries, on Sunday June 9.
Operated by the Global Educational Trust, GET Free Books is dedicated to promoting literacy and encouraging a love of reading by offering free access to books for local communities through its network of 20 bookshops around the UK.
The charity’s new location on the first floor, next to Starbucks in Buchanan Galleries, is the first of its kind in Scotland and offers a wide range of second-hand books across various genres to the people of Glasgow, allowing guests to take up to three books home and ensuring that everyone, regardless of their financial situation, can read and educate themselves.
The store relies on community donations to keep its shelves stocked and invites the public to contribute their unwanted books to support the initiative, while also preventing unwanted books from going to waste.
Kathy Murdoch, centre director at Buchanan Galleries, said: “We are delighted to welcome this initiative to Buchanan Galleries and offer this unique opportunity to the community here in Glasgow. Books have the power to educate, inspire, and entertain, and this initiative ensures that cost is never a barrier to accessing them. We look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on our local community.”
Yusuf Bashforth, co-founder of the charity, said: “We are thrilled to bring GET Free Books to Scotland for the very first time. This new Glasgow shop marks an important milestone in our mission to make books accessible to everyone, promoting literacy, sustainability, and community connection.
“Having witnessed the incredible impact of our shops across England, we’re excited to bring that same opportunity to Glasgow—giving great books a second life and inspiring a love for reading in even more communities.”
GET Free Books stores are sustained through the generosity of volunteers and book donors, with locations already established in cities across the UK. The addition of Buchanan Galleries marks an exciting expansion of the initiative, bringing free books to Scotland for the first time.
