Little Free Library

A joint project between the Raymond Rotary Club and the Kainai Public Library is building bridges and increasing literacy on the Blood Reserve.

The two organizations are working together in order to provide the Blood Tribe community with free book kiosks similar to those in the Little Free Library movement. The Rotary club will construct the boxes and help with book donations, while the library will provide funds for the building materials, be in charge of placement and for refreshing the books on a regular basis.
Kainai Public Library co-ordinator Linda Weasel Head said she was inspired by recent stories about the Little Free Library movement as well as seeing them online. She also saw one in action at an Alberta Teachers Association meeting.

The plan is to provide the books free to the community and to refresh them weekly with donated books.

“We want to make sure there are different books, because we don’t want them just sitting there in a box collecting dust,” she said.

The project is an example of the efforts of the library to encourage literacy and build community.

“When people are done with the books, they can put them back, or they can just keep them in their home if they prefer,” said Weasel Head.

Over the past several years, the Rotary Club of Raymond has been involved in a number of projects internationally. This latest project was seen as an opportunity to serve the community in a more local capacity.

“We looked to our doorstep to the Blood Reservation, and wondered if there was anything they needed that we might be able to help with,” said Val Boehme, publicity chairman for the Rotary Club of Raymond.

He said he was inspired to help after hearing a speech given by Chief Justice Murray Sinclair, who chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
“The statement he made had significant meaning for me,” Boehme said. “He said that reconciliation is not just for the First Nations community. It’s for all Canadians. My personal feeling is that this is one very small step that one community is taking to engage the other community.”

Over the past year, the Rotary Club of Raymond has gathered 70 cases of books which were given to the Kainai Public Library. About 30 of those cases were deemed suitable for the library’s bookshelves. The other books have been distributed throughout the community.

Three libraries are planned at this point, and while definite locations for the libraries have not been secured, Weasel Head said it is likely they could find homes in places such as the social services building in Standoff, the community of Moses Lake, or places such as treatment centres in the community.

“Our underlying goal is to increase literacy and make reading material available,” said Weasel Head, “Once you read, your life changes dramatically. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t have access to books. Poverty plays a key role (in literacy), and over time, if a community has a library, then over time that poverty begins to diminish.”

Weasel Head said the Kainai Public Library has 1,600 users per month and is looking for donations of books, gently used children’s toys, and volunteers for their Saturday afternoon programming. Anyone with a skill that might be of interest to children is in high demand.

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