Thursday, March 28, 2024

Oak Bay Grade 12 student installs CRD’s 600th little free library over the weekend

Share

If you have driven or strolled around the Greater Victoria area, you’ve most likely noticed a few Little Free Libraries (LFLs) along your route.

With hundreds of LFLs in the Greater Victoria area, the highest documented density of LFLs in Canada, these take-a-book, leave-a-book miniature libraries are hard to miss!

Over the weekend, grade 12 Oak Bay High School student Sidney Hurst installed her very own LFL, marking the 600th in the region.

‘Bowker Creek Books’ was installed as part of Hurst’s final year, self-directed Capstone Project, a requirement at Oak Bay High school. 

These projects can involve research, developing a new skill, or assembling a portfolio. 

“For my capstone I wanted to do something to not only share my passion for reading, but also give back to the community,” said Hurst.

“I think little free libraries are such a cool concept not only because of how they provide books and benefit communities, but also how they promote sustainability, and those aspects combined inspired me to build a little free library as my final project.”

Hurst’s LFL can be found along the Bowker Creek Walkway, between the Tennis Bubble at the Oak Bay Recreation Centre and the running track. 

“Embracing the concept of placemaking within the school community was a really great experience for me, and I tried to keep that top of mind when designing and installing the little free library,” said Hurst. 

“The location along the restored section of Bowker creek was perfect for this, as it has become such a vibrant and accessible green space for the school and the broader community, and I hope my project will serve to further enhance that community space.”

In June 2021, the 500th little free library was installed in the Greater Victoria area. Now, less than a year later, 100 more have been added.

Ready to read? Check out the Little Free Library Map to get started.

Read more

Latest Stories