A recently-installed mini library in a Watsonia front yard is reportedly bringing a taste of Northcote to the outer north east, inflating house prices and encouraging more sophisticated coffee orders from our residents. The library, which works primarily on an honour-based system, encourages people to take a book home with them, as long as they replace it with a book donation of their own.

Whilst common in the more egalitarian inner north, front yard libraries are just starting to pop up around Watsonia, especially since last year’s lockdowns. One passerby was glowing in her praise for the initiative, telling The Watsonia Bugle, “It’s just lovely isn’t it? Really encourages the community to pick up a book and read. Gives me some real warm and fuzzies.”

While most of the comments we heard were positive, one man was unimpressed. He said, “None of them books were any good. Not one Max Walker joke book in there, so why would I bother?”

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