Little library to encourage neighbourly exchanges
Heather Laflamme says a new book-borrowing box installed at her New Lowell home is now open for business.
Little libraries, as they are commonly called, are grassroots initiatives based on the take-a-book, leave-a-book concept. Books are available to anyone and can be added by anyone. Books can be passed on after they are read, or returned.
Laflamme, who is new to New Lowell, said she has always wanted to have a little library in her neighbourhood. She went looking for someone to build it and was thrilled when local builder Caleb Beishuizen of Beishuizen Contracting offered to donate his time and materials.
“I had a vision of having and maintaining a Little Free Library for the New Lowell community, and this contractor has generously brought that vision to life,” said Laflamme.
She said she is a fan of little libraries because they promote literacy and encourage exchanges between neighbours, adding she enjoys visiting them when she goes to other communities.
The mother of three children has stocked the library with a variety of books from the family’s collection. It contains a variety of novels, including Laflamme’s preferred genre, being mysteries, but also children’s books, and romance. (She said the Stephen King books flew off the shelf.) They are working on building up a teen and tween section.
The idea is that people add books to create a wide selection for the next person who comes by.
Little libraries are small outdoor libraries that provide free books and free exchanges, and can have meaningful impact on the community, said Laflamme.
“At a time when we’re all busy and racing around, I feel like it creates a sense of belonging to a neighborhood. By no means can little free libraries be compared to public libraries, which are irreplaceable centers of knowledge and innovative community programming. But one of the joys, is simply seeing what books are there. The inventory is completely unprescribed, and continually changing at a whim,” she said.
The new Little Free Library is located at 12 Oakdale Drive in New Lowell.
