Free Little Library programs delivers its 150,000th book in Greater Victoria

The Free Little Library program is celebrating a massive milestone after delivering its 150,000th book last week.

The book was delivered by Saanich councillor Teale Phelps Bondaroff, who leads the Pocket Places Project, the organization responsible for maintaining the libraries in the region.

The book to celebrate the milestone was Trudy’s Healing Rock, written by local Indigenous Gitxsan author Trudy Spiller, illustrated by Jessika Von Innerebner and published by Medicine Wheel Publishing.

“Our grandmother would tell us when your heart is heavy and you are really upset, to take a rock, put it in your hand,” said Spinner, explaining the origin of her book.

“Tell the rock what’s bothering you. And then when you are finished and feel like your heart is less heavy, you go and bury that rock back where you got it.”

According to Bondaroff, the Pocket Places Project has been spearheaded by the Greater Victoria Placemaking Network (GVPN) since 2017, promoting, mapping, building and stocking the free little libraries throughout the city.

Bondaroff volunteers with the GVPN, and is regularly found cycling across the region with a bike trailer full of books to top up the libraries.

The GVPN was founded in 2013 with the goal of inspiring people, neighbourhoods and communities to create vibrant public places that promote health, happiness and well-being, according to Bondaroff.

The non-profit is composed of Greater Victoria residents dedicated to improving the region’s shared places through placemaking.

“The GVPN has distributed more than 150,000 books, but we are only one small part of what keeps our region’s growing network of little free libraries well-stocked,” said Bondaroff.

“The vast majority of little free libraries are stocked by the people who live around them. Someone brings a book along when they take the dog for a walk, or tucks a few books into a bag when they head out for coffee.”

He went on to say that it is through thousands of small acts of generosity and community building that keep the libraries’ books moving from neighbour to neighbour.

For more information about the libraries, including a map of where to find them, visit the GVPN website here.