Those with a love for reading now have a brand new source of books available to them on a quiet Blackfalds street.
A grand opening for a mutli-cultural outdoor library was held on Oct. 5 at 279 - Cedar Square - the home of Peter Gomes. The whole idea is to take a book, read a book and share a book, organizers say.
"I moved here two and one-half years ago from Ontario," said Gomes, who is an employee of Lacombe's Mary C. Moore Public Library.
"I wanted to set up a library in my front yard to basically just bring the community together."
Gomes connected with Syed Hassan, a Calgary resident who runs the non-profit Love with Humanity Association.
"He decided to help me out with it," said Gomes, adding he's already been able to collect a lot of donations from co-workers at the library, and some of his neighbours as well.
The books will be available at the site all year long, and they are divided up in age categories as well.
It's about giving something to the community, Gomes said, adding he's also a member of the Knights of Columbus which has a focus on charity work as well.
Meanwhile, Gomes is also pleased that he can offer the service on his own property. "People can come here, read a book, take a book, and bring a book - that's the concept. I'm hoping for the best."
Gomes said it's also an initiative of the Love With Humanity Association, which has helped to set up about 42 similar libraries around the province.
Blackfalds Mayor Jamie Hoover said that a multi-cultural library is a welcome addition to the community.
"It's welcoming to every age group. And in many cases, because of limited hours, people don't always have access to books," he said. "So an installation like this brings value.
"I look forward to how this also changes and adapts. It has all of these resources for different ages - again, something that is very valuable to our community."
