Thursday, March 28, 2024

Bingo cards are back at Little Free libraries across Victoria

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Bingo!

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

LFL’s are miniature outdoor libraries stocked full of titles ready to be explored, operating under the principle of ‘Take a Book-Leave a Book’. These book boxes are created, decorated and maintained by members of the community or local community organizations. 

With over 615 little libraries in Greater Victoria, and an addition of 150 new libraries over the past year, our region has the highest documented density of LFLs in Canada!

In order to encourage locals to get outdoors, explore their own neighbourhoods and try a new book the Greater Victoria Placemaking Network (GVPN) has brought back ‘Little Free Library Bingo’!

This year’s bingo game builds on last summer’s successful distribution of the cards around Greater Victoria.

“LFL Bingo works just like normal bingo, you generate a card, and then head out to visit little free libraries around town,” explains John Threlfall, who runs a colourful LFL on Fernwood Road and came up with the idea for LFL Bingo. 

“You can then play by line, cross or blackout as you find the various items. You can play on your own, as a family, or challenge a friend.”

Participants can pick up a LFL Bingo card at any of the library boxes across the Greater Victoria region. 

Once you pick up your bingo card, take it along with you as you visit as many LFLs in your neighbourhood and colour in the boxes that match books that you find. 

You do not have to take the books with you (although you can if you’re interested in the title!) just mark it down on your bingo card. 

Once you have completed your Bingo card, you are encouraged to share a photo to social media using the hashtag #LFLBingo to be entered to win additional prizes. 

“The goal of the project is to encourage people to explore the region’s little free library network and in so doing, explore Victoria. Depending on the neighbourhood, it’s pretty easy to visit three or four little free libraries in a single walk or bike ride” says Threlfall. 

“We even designed a version for kids so it can be a family game that will foster a love of books and encourage kids to become life-long readers.”

Premade and customizable bingo cards can also be downloaded on the GVPN’s website, with options for general and kids. If you aren’t sure where your closest LFL is, the GVPN has provided a Little Free Library Map

Little Free Library Bingo 

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