On August 24, 2024 in the midst of a heavy rainfall warning about 40 brave book lovers of all ages came together to celebrate the opening of the Bridlewoods Little Free Library.
My brother in law did a fabulous job of building the library. The library has two shelves, one for children and young adult books and the other for books for adult readers. Two days before the event with help from the gardeners and others who live in our community the Little Free Library was installed next to our Amenities Building. An area that is well used and has space for people to gather.
With the weather expected to be wet on opening day. I was fortunate enough to obtain a large canopy on short notice. Thankfully the rain stopped long enough to allow us to celebrate without getting soaked.
The Bridlewoods community is home to multi generational groups of people from a variety of backgrounds. Many of the individuals are new to the Langley area. The purpose of the event was to draw their attention and interest in the library and also provide neighbours with the chance to chat, and get to know each other, to encourage a feeling of “community”.
I had managed to obtain several donations of a variety of books, for all ages. At the celebration, people chose a book or two to take home and brought books to share with others. Food and beverages were provided and the children made two different types of bookmarks. There was also a draw for two gift cards for a local bookstore. Some of the children enjoyed choosing which books to put in the library, and then happily filled it. Everyone seemed to enjoy the opportunity to meet some new neighbours.
My heart has been warmed by this project – it truly has brought our townhome community together. Daily I have seen families choosing books and heard of children who are happy to share one of their books and place it in the library for someone else to read. Notes are left in the communication book located in the library and books in a variety of languages have been shared. As one person said, having the Bridlewoods Little Free Library, “is a great way to bring the community together”
A heartfelt thank you to Neighbourhood Small Grants for making this project possible!
