Books read by staff at Gloucester City Council's two museums have started 'globetrotting journeys' around the world.
The staff have used their personal books to join 'booksharing' - an international book club.
The idea is simple, people leave books they have read in a location where someone else might pick it up and take it away.
The books are registered and each new reader is invited to leave a comment and a location on a central website.
In this way it is possible for books to pass through numerous hands and literally travel the world.
Council Leader, Paul James, commented: " It is like a world library and is a wonderful idea. Our staff are aiming to leave a number of books in the cafes at both the City and Folk Museums every week.
" In the few weeks since joining the scheme a total of six books have started their journeys. Our museums are listed as an official 'book crossing' location so we hope that will encourage more people to come and visit us."
And he added: " Now the staff are keeping their eyes peeled to track how far the books they have brought in are travelling."
More information about the scheme can be found at www.BookCrossing.com