A Lloydminster resident is wanting to share her love of reading with the community.
Lorelee Marin and her husband have attached a little library, named the Sweet Pea Library, to the back gate of their property along the Messum Lake Walking Path.
“It’s been our plan to do for a couple of years. This year things fell together and we were able to get it opened a little bit later than [we planned] due to COVID, but we were able to open it up.”
Marin says the delay came from ensuring it could be used safely and prevent the spread of the virus. They added a sanitization station to the side and books will be wiped down before they go inside the library.
The little library is take-a-book, leave-a-book system with children’s and adult books on the shelves. Marin says they’ve been seeing about 10 to 15 books go in and out of the library a day.
“We’ve had so many rich conversations already. Either over the fence or out by the library, talking to people who are coming to choose a book.”
She says it is all about community and connecting people with their neighbours.
“Although we’re hosting the Sweet Pea Library, it actually belongs to everybody. It’s a part of the community. It’s for our neighbours, our friends and people in the community. Anyone can use it.”
The name Sweet Pea comes from another one of her passions, gardening. Marin says they always plant sweet peas along their back fence.
“They’re beautiful and really loved by ourselves and by the community. They didn’t grow this year, but it was always my plan to call our library the Sweet Pea Library.”
The library has also been registered with Little Free Library which tracks little libraries across the world. They’ve also set up an Instagram account for the library as well. Marin hopes the community will treasure the library and wants to see more go up across the Border City.