Sudbury’s newest libraries are so small, you can’t even go inside.
The Greater Sudbury Public Library (GSPL) has put up 12 “Little Free Libraries” across Sudbury over the past two years — from Coniston to the Donovan — and several residents have set up libraries independently. They’re proving to be a hit.
The GSPL’s charming, dollhouse-sized red boxes with cedar-shingled roofing and glass doors have an informal “take-one-leave-one” policy, and are intended to supplement traditional libraries.
“I know a lot of people use libraries, but a lot of people don’t,” explained Jessica Watts, who co-ordinates outreach, projects, and programs for the GSPL. “It’s a different way to get books into peoples’ hands.”
Some people, she said, might face accessibility issues or may not have the time to go to the library, while others may have parents who don’t take them or might be afraid if they’ve racked up fines in the past. This last one, Watt would like people to know, is easily remedied and she said: “The days of the cranky librarian shushing or telling you to pay your fines are gone, everything over eight years old is probably gone!”
The local little library movement was inspired by a broader, international project called “Little Free Library.” Watts saw one on Manitoulin and knew Sudbury needed one (or two, or 12) of its own.
Working with National Reading Campaign’s local literary festival, Reading Town Sudbury, and with building expertise from the Walden Seniors and Pensioners Woodworkers group, they set out to create a few of their own.
They got old cedar shingles from Anderson Farm, and got building. From the start, Watts said they knew their design would have to account for Sudbury’s unique weather. The roofs and exteriors are as weather-proofed as possible, while the doors use slow-close hinges to ensure they always close even is users forget to.
Once they had the libraries, they needed places to put them. It proved easy to find individuals and organizations who wanted to support the project, and now they can be found everywhere from churches, to private residences, to outside regular libraries (for after hours access!)
So far, the people looking after the libraries have had positive experiences.
“Oh my God mom, we never go to the library, and my friends all have this book!” Watts overheard kids at the South End location exclaim. And in the Donovon, all the people in the neighbourhood keep an eye on it, she said.
For Watts, she just wants to share the joy she gets from reading with more people.
“I read a lot as a kid, I loved the ones that would take you away to different places,” said Watts. Not much has changed since, and she said her children are the ones who have to pull her away from the park as she begs for “just one more chapter!”
She sees the libraries as adapting to a changing world.
“The way people are reading is changing, so there will be different ways for libraries to serve the community,” she said.
There are 12 up now along with several private projects, and at least two more in the works. Stay tuned or get in touch with the GSPL to see how you can get involved, and don’t forget to check out the map in this story (see below) to see where you can find your nearby Little Free Library.
Ella Jane Myers is a freelance writer in Greater Sudbury. She's fueled by good grub, old sci-fi and long walks with the dog. Visit her at EllaJaneMyers.com.
