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Big on books

Burin Peninsula Brighter Futures meeting a need with self-serve community libraries

PAUL HERRIDGE THE TELEGRAM paul.herridge @thetelegram.com

A good book can be hard to find on the Burin Peninsula.

“There’s a few places here you can get them, but it’s still really limited,” Burin Peninsula Brighter Futures executive director Brenda Sheppard told The Telegram Thursday.

The organization, which aims to promote the healthy development of young children and families in the region, is helping to address the issue.

The group recently took on a project to build book “houses,” small self-serve libraries essentially, that will be placed in communities in the area.

“It’s not an exchange per se,” Sheppard said of the libraries. “If you wanted to leave a book you can, but it’s not necessary.”

Sheppard said she saw a similar idea online some time ago, and the organization had hoped to get the initiative started sooner, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year, it was postponed.

They decided to revisit the idea in early April, she said, and Shelley Farrell, family support facilitator for the Marystown-burin area, took the project on enthusiastically, utilizing her many contacts to swiftly pull it together with exceptional community support.

“She was the right person for it, for sure. In no time at all she had this up and running,” Sheppard said.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

To complete the project, Farrell contacted Keyin College in Marystown, and students in its carpentry program built the book libraries.

“They jumped on board,” she said.

She also approached businesses and organizations in the area to sponsor each of the initial eight libraries, which will be placed in Marystown, Burin and Grand Bank, having no difficulties finding groups and companies willing to participate.

Aylward’s Home Hardware in Marystown also went above and beyond to help in several facets of the project, Farrell said.

“It’s not something I think we really could have managed so quickly on our own,” said Sheppard.

“I think there’s a will in the community to help families and especially to help children, especially during the pandemic, and this is one way businesses can demonstrate that.”

WIN-WIN

Keyin College principal Loretta Lewis says it’s common for the school to receive requests from community organizations for carpentry projects.

It’s a win-win for the students, who get hands-on experience as well as an opportunity to use what they’re learning to help others, she said.

“We’ve done some nice projects, I have to say,” Lewis said.

The book libraries are now in the hands of sponsors who wanted to paint them.

They’ll be finalized, put in place and ready for use in the next few weeks, Farrell said, noting safety and accessibility were factors considered when selecting locations.

With nine family resource centres around the Burin Peninsula, the aim is to eventually have book libraries in each community.

“We definitely have intentions of expanding on this in the near future,” Farrell said.

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2021-05-08T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-05-08T07:00:00.0000000Z

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