A greener Christmas: Exchange your things for new Advent gifts

Christmas is a time of love, but it can also be a period filled with stress, overconsumption, and, above all, the tiresome pursuit of gifts, gifts, and… more gifts.

Especially the classic advent calendar can be a headache, even though it is a beloved tradition. It often leads to unnecessary overconsumption and 24 meaningless gifts that are quickly forgotten.

Aalborg Library has now taken a step towards a greener Christmas by introducing a “sharing shelf” at the Main Library, where the focus is on exchanging your treasures that would otherwise gather dust at home for new advent gifts.

Swap for something new

If your toy boxes are full of things that are no longer used, and at the same time, you have a child eagerly looking forward to December, where 24 new pieces of toys ideally should move in, then you can conveniently stop by the sharing shelf.

The idea here is that you can exchange for something new, and by handing in a discarded piece of toy, you are free to take a new one home.

If you have a surplus of items but no need for anything new, Aalborg Library also gladly accept these with open arms.

The advent gift donation boxes will be available until Christmas, while the rest of the sharing shelf is open throughout the year.

Through the sharing shelf, you can also donate, exchange, or find hobby materials (textiles, paper, beads, etc.) for your creative projects.

The idea of sharing arrangements has emerged from Aalborg Libraries’ new People’s Workshop, where the idea is that it is the citizens – and what they are passionate about – should shape what happens.

The workshop is located at the Main Library, where they have cleared the northern end of the library to house workshops, DIY theme days, clubs, activities, and other community-building initiatives – by and for citizens.