Little Lethbridge libraries connecting community

WATCH ABOVE: Neighborhood book exchanges have been popping up in Lethbridge over the last few years. Global’s Kimberly Tams reports.

The “take a book, leave a book” movement is gaining popularity across the country, and is now popping up in Lethbridge neighborhoods. The concept is simple, but its message is strong.

“The root of it is to get people together in one space and start sharing experience and stories and create a sense of community”, said Jerry Firth, the neighborhood support coordinator for the city of Lethbridge.

With no start-up or operating capital, office or paid staff, the concept is evolving quickly. Lethbridge residents put their own twist on their libraries.

“You can create your own. A woman living in Sunridge created here own pop up box with her imagination and it works perfect,” explains Firth.

The idea is that by making books freely available, the city can enhance public spaces while encouraging reading.

“What we are trying to do is get them into neighborhoods across Lethbridge. These specific ones will be on public land,” said Firth. “ So either in a park or on boulevards.”

There are only a handful of the mini-libraries up right now. The locations can be found on a Google map found on the “Little Lethbridge libraries Facebook page”.

The city of Lethbridge has teamed up with the Ability Resource Centre to get the libraries built.

Firth says the goal is to have up to 25 set up around city by the spring of 2016,