A lending library for everyone

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This article was published 04/11/2016 (3354 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A free outdoor lending library is one of many ways St. Stephen’s Anglican Church reaches out to the community, organizers say.

Cheryl Mendella said the membership  of the church at 220 Helmsdale Ave. recently went through a goal-setting exercise and a key theme that emerged was the need to be part of the community.

“One of our goals was to be visible in the community and be part of the community so we started a couple of different projects.

“I decided I loved reading and I’ve seen a couple of those libraries so I said ‘we’re going to make a library’.”

Mendella recruited her father, Samuel Robbins and the two got to work planning the library and looking for materials.

The libraries, commonly known as Little Free Libraries, have become popular across North America, with more than 4,000 estimated to have been started in the last couple of years. The concept is simple. People walking by can take a book to read, or drop one off for other people to enjoy. Everything works on the honour system.

“People can bring a book and take a book,” Mendella said. “It’s important for the community to have access to some books within walking distance.”

Mendella and Robbins said the new library, which is located outside the main doors of the church on Helmsdale Avenue, is the latest addition to an outdoor area which includes benches and trees. In the summer Rev. Liz Richens holds her office hours outdoors and children from a nearby daycare play there.

“Families were using the green space and kids requested books,” Mendella said, while adding there are books for all ages and tastes.

The library was blessed on Sept. 18 and was probably completed late on Sept. 17, Robbins said with a laugh.

“We wanted something that would be durable and that could last in the elements,” he explained. “I planned it out carefully because I didn’t want to make any mistakes.”

Mendella said St. Stephen’s reaches out to the community in many ways. Each spring the children grow flowers and cucumbers that they deliver to area homes with a note saying they enjoy being in the community. They also hold a community barbecue, create Christmas hampers for people in need, organize gift boxes for women in shelters, and host step programs for people in recovery.

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