The Little Free Library on McCarthy Boulevard in Regina’s Normanview neighbourhood will continue sharing its stories with others thanks to the support of the community.
Owners of the doll-sized library, Martin and Darlene Krauss, were awoken by the Regina Fire Department around 4:00 a.m. on Canada Day, after the library was set on fire and a bystander called 911.
The library provides children’s books, novels and self-improvement books, along with seeds for gardens to anyone in the community. The concept allows people to take a book, or leave a book.
“The community response, not just from our community but the city and the province has been unbelievable,” Darlene said. “This is what community does to support everybody in the community… I’m lost for words. It’s just so amazing and that’s why it was so important for us to get it back up as quickly as possible.”
Darlene says North Regina Little League held a book drive and donated eight boxes of books, while other Little Free Library stewards across the world donated money and more books. A GoFundMe page was also created to raise money.
“It gave us the incentive, especially my husband because of the support we were receiving with donations and financial — people offering to come and help and rebuild — that he had to get it up as soon as possible,” Darlene said.
On Sunday, the Little Free Library had its grand reopening and while the new library is a little bit bigger and taller, Darlene says there are some changes in place.
“Unfortunately, because of the incident we will not have the library open 365 days a week, 24 hours a day, we are going to shut it down and have it open only from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. It will be locked up at night,” Darlene said.
The extra money that was raised will be used to buy children’s books for the special seasonal locations, Darlene said.
There are more than 90,000 Little Free Libraries around the world.
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