FROM November 30 to December 23, some 500,000 books under 6,000 different titles science, medicine and management to Christian literature, hobbies and cookery will be available for public viewing and sale onboard the world’s oldest ocean- faring passenger ship MV Doulos. Based at Gate 1, South Harbor, Pier 13 (Near Manila Hotel)

Known also to be the world’s largest floating bookshop, MV Doulos is now owned by the German charity Gute Bücher für Alle (Good Books for All) and used as a floating library.

The Doulos arrived in last November 6 and was dry docked in Batangas, to undergo a routine period of maintenance before proceeding to Manila.

It has already visited Manila five times and during its last visit last January, crowds came daily to visit the unique ship and its unique cargo that testifies it as a Noah’s Ark for book lovers and the like.

Its crew of 350 members coming from over 50 countries are excited to work together with Filipinos and witness the enthusiasm and interest its cargo-load of books would generate to the public.

The MV Doulos was originally built as the freighter Medina in 1914—just two years after the famous MV Titanic—by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company for the Mallory Steamship Company of the United States.

During the Second World War, she served with the United States Coast Guard and in 1948, the Panamanian company Naviera San Miguel SA acquired her, renaming the ship Roma to transport immigrants to Australia.

In 1952 Naviera San Miguel resold the Roma to Linea Costa, an Italian company and at this time, the SS Roma, a steamship, was and renamed again to MV Franca C and converted into a motor vessel to carry passengers between Italy and Argentina.

In 1959, the Franca C was adapted into a cruise liner, principally cruising the Mediterranean and it was only in 1977 when Gute Bücher für Alle acquired the Franca C to rename it for the last time as the Doulos.

In her current role are visiting sea ports world-wide as a way to share knowledge through the books it makes available to the public for viewing and sale.

For further information about MV Doulos, interested parties may contact Ms. Sofie Eriksson at the Doulos office in Manila through telephone no.656-15-90, Mobile no. 09053323547 Telefax no. 655-37-53, and email address doulos.manila@gbaships,org