David Byrne Has a Public Lending Library

For the rest of the week, Londoners have the chance to peruse the personal library of one of the world’s great rock stars. Until August 30, visitors can check out 250 book from David Byrne's personal collection from the Poetry Library in London. All they have to do is leave behind a credit card to ensure that the books don't disappear without a trace.

It’s all part of the annual Meltdown Festival, which the Talking Heads frontman is curating this year. Byrne is an author in addition to being an artist (both musical and visual), and some of the books served as research for his book, How Music Works. Many other books are about music in other cultures (the Scottish-born musician, who lives in New York, started a record label for world music in 1988).

“Some of my books may have highlighted bits or notes scrawled in the margins,” Byrne said in a Guardian piece announcing the library. “I hope nothing embarrassing.”

[h/t: Open Culture]