In an age where people are tossing aside paperbacks and powering up e-readers, one Regina man is bucking the trend. Gary Welke has turned his front lawn into a library for Regina residents.
"it was a labour of love for me. It took three weeks to build it, and I wanted to build it so that it looked like my house,” says Welke.
Though he is retired, Welke has found a new profession this summer: head librarian. He calls it the Little Free Library, and it’s one of many book-lending spots around the world. The idea is to promote literacy and build a sense of community at the same time.
David McLennan is one of Welke’s neighbours. “I wondered what Gary was up to in his garage. I saw him tinkering away there, a few days building this thing, and I was surprised when I saw him put this thing up. There are people that come by every day, kids, people of all ages. I see some of the same people time and time again but I see new faces all the time."
Welke says his brother-in-law has taken a page out of his book, and built his own library in Brandon. The concept is simple – bring a book you’ve finished reading and exchange it for a new one.
.The original ten books have long since disappeared and new ones appear every day. It’s a low maintenance way to give back to the neighbourhood that will hopefully last, even in this electronic age.
Now, the little library has been weather proofed and sealed and Welke is ready to see if it can withstand its next test – a Saskatchewan winter.
