Service clubs have been busy building little free libraries to meet growing interest from people who want to be book-sharing kiosk stewards, says the head of Literacy Lambton.
“We’ve got a lot of little free library action going on,” said Tracy Pound.
Five were recently announced through Rotary Sarnia-Lambton After Hours, including a draw for a steward for one April 26.
“It’s going to be tough to decide,” Deborah Renaud-McDermott said about the number of applications that have come in, noting it may come down to random draw.
“We’re trying to also … pick an area that also doesn’t have one, or not even one close by,” she said.
Sarnia-Lambton Rebound’s Lorne Avenue location, a Rotary member’s home on Beach Lane, and maybe Cathcart Park are destinations, she said.
One also went to O’Rae Avenue resident Dela Horley earlier this month, who contacted Literacy Lambton interested after a Sarnia This Week article last summer on little free library prevalence in Lambton County.
“I’m just very thankful,” Horley said. “We’re enjoying having it so far.”
She stocked her with books from the Rotary Club of Sarnia Bluewaterland’s recent book sale and there have been about half a dozen visits to date, Horley said.
“It’s a great idea for people to come and take a book that maybe can’t make it down to the library downtown or something,” she said.
Horley’s kiosk has a plaque indicating it’s registered with the non-profit littlefreelibrary.org that includes a repository of registered little free libraries throughout the world, and plans are for all the service club-built little free libraries to have them, Pound said.
Literacy Lambton also keeps a list pinned atop its Facebook page that includes unregistered little free libraries.
Another Sarnia Rotary club and the city’s parks and recreation department are teaming up for another six in city parks soon, Pound said.
“Petrolia Rotary has also been very, very busy building little free libraries,” she said.
A $5,000 Sarnia Community Foundation grant Literacy Lambton received last year has gone to purchasing Little Free Library sheds for service clubs, including to use as templates to build more, and plaques, she said.
The organization also held pop-up little free libraries last year.
Hopes are to keep building the network in Sarnia-Lambton, Pound said.
“Even though the structure may exist in a park or on a person’s front lawn, the goodness inside is ultimately owned by the community,” she said.
“So it’s only as good as the people that support it.”
There’s lots of opportunities for more stewards, she said, noting having the structures built may prove to be a stumbling block for some.
“It would be nice to see that they end up being a fixture that brings the neighborhoods together,” Pound said.