After a city decision, Rainbow Park’s Little Free Library has been moved to a new home, but it’s former volunteer caretaker still wishes there could be a library in that spot.
On May 7, Tina Cousins was surprised when she noticed the Little Free Library in Rainbow Park that she’s been caring for since 2016 was gone.
She soon found out the City of Prince George had removed the little library as it has decided to end its commitments to the program.
“I’m a librarian in my regular life and I really liked the little free library phenomenon that has been going around the world in the last 10 years, so I really see the value in the community having access to books,” says Cousins.
“I just think it fills a niche in the community regards to literacy”
She says the little free library in Rainbow Park was always a really busy place and a hub for the neighbourhood.
It was located near both a seniors home and an elementary school, and Cousins said because it was positioned out in the open, she’s never noticed a problem with vandalism.
“I think it’s really unfortunate we can’t have some sort of solution. I do live in the neighbourhood and I can put one up on my yard, which might happen, but the gold standard would be what can we do to make it work for the community in that location,” says Cousins.
“I really think where it was, is the best place for our community.”
The city’s Little Libraries program was an initiative of the former Enhance PG committee which dissolved in 2017. Two units were built and installed: one in Carrie Jane Gray Park and the other in Rainbow Park.
The unit at Carrie Jane Gray Park had been vandalized twice, so it was relocated to Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park (on Gorse Street) where it is currently monitored by the REAPS non-profit organization.
The city says when the Enhance PG was dissolved in 2017, staff took responsibility for the Little Libraries program and initiated an annual service agreement with the Prince George Public Library to stock and monitor the units.
There were city obligations related to maintenance including repairs, cleaning, graffiti removal, signage and surrounding turf upkeep.
The city met with the Prince George Public Library to discuss the Little Libraries program and how to best move forward, explaining the library did not wish to continue administering the program given its interest in having residents directly involved and benefiting from the main library’s services and programming.
So, the city contacted REAPS to ask if they would be interested in having the Little Libraries gifted to that organization, and they agreed.
The city says it was unaware that there was a volunteer caretaker looking after the Rainbow Park site, and the library was removed and delivered to REAPS without providing notice.
The city says it regrets the error and apologizes to anyone who was unpleasantly surprised by this, and it’s now talking about options for a continued presence of a Little Free Library in the Spruceland neighbourhood.
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