The Magic of Physical Books: An Interview with 1000 Libraries Founder Vincent Phan

“In this age of digital technology and AI… bookstores and libraries offer something that is completely tangible, something that has a certain magic,” says Vincent Phan, founder of 1000 Libraries, a global platform that celebrates places around the world dedicated to reading.

What began as a personal Instagram account sharing photographs of libraries and bookstores has grown into an influential online magazine, a publishing house, a letter-subscription service, and a social-impact foundation.

1000 Libraries is a mindful rebellion against screen-dominated life. Phan insists that physical book places still matter because they invite presence, conversation, and a love for stories that no algorithm can replicate.

“I’ve always been in love with these places,” Phan says. “One of my favourite things to do is just go to a bookstore, not even thinking about buying anything, but going there to browse, to talk with the booksellers. It’s something we can’t really replicate anywhere else. Booksellers, just like teachers, aren’t paid a lot of money, but they choose this work because they love books. They love recommending books. They love being in places like this. And that’s something I felt needed to be celebrated.”

A grandfather’s love

Phan’s own story starts in 1970s Paris, when his parents arrived as political refugees from Southeast Asia. As new immigrants, they worked relentlessly to provide for their family, so when Vincent and his sister were born, childcare largely fell to his grandfather, a passionate reader of French literature.

Every day after school, his grandfather took the children to the local library. There, surrounded by shelves and kind librarians, Phan fell in love with books. His grandfather read him The Little Prince, which Phan says he still turns to today when he wants to recapture that sense of boyish wonder.