Literacy Alberni’s little library program has been revived, thanks to teamwork between Literacy Alberni, the Rotary Club of Port Alberni and Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District.
The coronavirus pandemic and the loss of warehouse space just before COVID-19 restrictions came into play meant Literacy Alberni had little space to either store books or allow volunteers to sort or distribute donations. As a result, some libraries have been looking a bit thin on books, and those inside buildings that were closed due to COVID-19 were inaccessible.
“Since COVID we have been asking people if they have books to stick them in a little library themselves,” said Rebecca Dixon, literacy services coordinator for Literacy Alberni.
“We used to have a huge warehouse space but we had to give that up before COVID.”
When the Rotary Club of Port Alberni realized the libraries needed some TLC, they approached Literacy Alberni about putting in some volunteer hours to help. “I’m always blown away how much Rotary clubs do in Port Alberni,” a grateful Dixon said.
“I wasn’t surprised that they offered. It’s amazing for us that they volunteered for this.”
Rotarians are tending to 18 little libraries around the community, stocking them with books every couple of weeks and making sure the boxes are in good repair. There is a list of all the little library locations on the Literacy Alberni website, http://literacyalberni.ca/little-libraries/
Volunteers from Literacy Alberni sort through the books donated at the ACRD recycling depot, boxing them up to store in the Alberni Valley News’s warehouse.
Rotary members are then able to pick up boxes of books from the AV News and fill their designated libraries on their own schedule.
