The West Chicago (IL) Library receives boxes of books quite often, but nothing like the enormous Fed-Ex shipping container delivered last month. Inside was “Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey Across the Last Himalayan Kingdom,” about the small country nestled between China and India.
At 133 pounds, 5 feet tall and 7 feet wide when opened, and containing enough paper to cover a football field, “Bhutan” is the world’s largest published book, according to the “Guinness Book of World Records.”
The volume has been locked in a storage room since its arrival. Library officials say it will be for display only. They declined to show the book or allow it to be photographed ahead of the dedication ceremony, which is this upcoming Sunday.
Only 500 copies of the book will be printed, and profits will benefit Friendly Planet, a charity that raises money for poor schools in underdeveloped countries. Story from the Daily Herald .
Yeah, it’s big.
Memphis-Shelby County Public Library already has one, as do a few other libraries. Memphis Public has it on display, and they turn the page each day (or once a week-I can’t remember). If libraries have the big one, they might consider getting the smaller $100 version so people can see all the pictures instead of having to come back to see the different pages. People complained about that but thought it was cool enough.