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A library without a membership: Little Lethbridge Libraries

Click to play video: 'Little Lethbridge Libraries popping up across the city'
Little Lethbridge Libraries popping up across the city
WATCH ABOVE: Over the past years dozens of little Lethbridge libraries have been popping up throughout the city, and the only have two rules: Take a book, leave a book. Global’s Erik Mikkelsen has the story – Jul 26, 2016

Little Lethbridge Libraries are quickly popping up across the city as interest in sharing favourite books and stories continues to grow.

The little libraries are a self-policed initiative through which residents are encouraged to take a book home to read and leave one in its place.

“I’ve seen people coming here with their kiddies and they park right on the street their and the kiddies go to one box and the adults go to the other to pick out what the want,” London Road resident Nick Reeves said.

The City of Lethbridge received grants to place 20 libraries across the city in 2015, and after a few hiccups, seven have been installed. The remaining 13 are expected to be in their spots in the next three to four weeks.

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The ones that have been placed are getting positive feedback.

“Maybe you don’t know your neighbour but you both have just read [the same book] – then you can chat about it, meet new friends and get to know people in your community,” Sarah Head, branch services manager at the Lethbridge Public Library, said.

The libraries aren’t only used for trading books. In Kingsmen Park, a little library is located in the middle of a community garden and residents have also been sharing seeds in addition to their favourite recipes.

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One location even has a shorter box, filled entirely with children’s books.

“The idea of community, that means everybody,” City of Lethbridge Neighbourhood Development coordinator Jerry Firth said. “We want to make things as accessible as possible. I like this idea because it allows the little people to feel like they have just as much of a part of the community as anyone else.”

While the city has committed to installing 20 boxes, organizers said they would love to see more unique and community-built libraries open up throughout the city.

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