Little Free Libraries springing up everywhere

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This article was published 27/03/2017 (3292 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Suppose that late one evening, you find yourself with nothing to read. For some people, the answer might be to watch television, listen to the radio, or surf the Internet — but that might not be enough for anyone who loves to read.

If the library and bookstores are already closed, you might wonder what to do. A quick visit to one of Winnipeg’s many Little Free Libraries could fill your need and possibly even prompt you to start one of these projects in your own yard.

According to the Huffington Post, only one in 300 low-income children has access to books at home while in middle-income homes, it is one in 13. It was statistics like this one that led innovators in Wisconsin to begin the Little Free Library movement in 2009.     

The idea behind Little Free Libraries is simple — volunteers build boxes to hold books or magazines that people can take, read, and donate again or keep if they wish.

Since it was launched, the Little Free Library movement has grown to well over 50,000 book exchanges worldwide, including some in River Heights.

For Kimberly Slugoski, running a Little Free Library in her yard on Niagara Street has been an opportunity not only to get rid of extra books but also to share her love of reading with others. During the summer, she keeps a bench by the library, allowing visitors to sit and read while giving her the chance to meet other book lovers, who range in age from toddlers to the elderly.

“It’s nice to see how many people use the library,” she said.

She has had “lots of positive response” to her initiative. She began the project after recovering from an illness but has turned it into a community effort, with a box built by her brother-in-law and with books coming from her own collection as well as from many other people around the city.

The freedom to keep or return books at will is one of the advantages of the Little Free Library system, Slugoski says.

For book club members like herself, or anyone who likes to take a bit of extra time to savour the words they read, the free library system is perfect.

For more information on locations or to start a Little Free Library, visit wpl.winnipeg.ca/library/whatshappening/littlefreelibraries.asp or https://littlefreelibrary.org

Susan Huebert is a community correspondent for River Heights.