'Take a book, leave a book'

Innisfail has its first ever Neighbourhood Library.

It is a spot just outside the hall of the Innisfail United Church where book lovers can live by the motto, ‘“Take a book, leave a book.” The spot is not a building. No, it is a fully marked and beautifully painted box propped up by a wooden post.

Bud and Bethany Sargent were inspired by the movement of Americans Todd Bol and Rick Brooks who saw the opportunities for creative social enterprises through the “take a book, leave a book” free book exchange concept. By the summer of 2010, that inspiration morphed to a “Little Free Libraries” concept, and today there are more 40,000 registered Little Free Libraries in all 50 U.S. states and in more than 70 countries around the world.

“We have some friends that did one out in Vancouver and it's spread across the country. It is everywhere, and my wife said, ‘that is something we should do,'” said Bud, who is the chaplain of the Bowden Institution and padre of the Innisfail Royal Canadian Legion. “Everybody has books. I have books that I have read. You have books. Why not pass on the book to you and you give me a book I may want to read. It is exactly like the sign on the box, ‘Take a book, leave a book.'”

This past summer the plans for the local Neighbourhood Library box were retrieved from the website at https://littlefreelibrary.org and Bud then went to work – sizing his project and then building it. Bethany added her artistic touch by lovingly painting the box. When they were finished the couple had created a beautiful Neighbourhood Library box where citizens can take a book, leave a book.

The next step was to find a place to install the box. Bud, who lives less than a block away from the Innisfail United Church, went to the institution's board of directors meeting on Oct. 11 to pitch his idea.

“They approved it,” said Marvin Latimer, chair of the church's property committee. “It is worth trying. We will have to see what happens. It might work very well. You never know until you try it.”

The Neighbourhood Library box was officially put in place and ready for service just outside the church hall's entrance on Oct. 19. Citizens in and around the immediate area can now open up the box to take a book and leave one for the next avid reader.

“The idea is just to circulate books you and I have. Why not give someone else the opportunity to read them. Pass them on. Pay it forward for the community. It keeps people reading and sharing books,” said Bud. “It would be great to see these boxes pop up all over Innisfail.”