Book box boomtown: Greater Victoria celebrates more than 1,000 little free libraries

snuggled on the sides of streets crossways Greater queen victoria, sir david bruce More's creations mightiness spur a double take — is that half a kayak, a miniature barn or an old fashioned outhouse?

But a peek inside reveals their true purpose as little free libraries, community-operated book trading boxes that have boomed in popularity since the first-reported sighting in 2008.

There are now more than 1,000 little free libraries registered with the Greater Victoria Placemaking Network (GVPN), handily crafted by More and other community members.

It's a feat made possible by the dedication and whimsy of a group of volunteers, readers and builders who have kept the number of new book boxes growing at an average of more than 100 per year since 2017.

As enthusiasm for the little libraries have grown, so have their offerings. There's little free libraries for games, plants, crafting materials and pet supplies, or carefully curated genre-specific book boxes.

Andrew Wynn-Williams, who runs a little free library dedicated to fantasy books in the Gorge-Tillicum area of Saanich, says he has noticed regulars stopping by, including city workers on their lunch breaks and kids on their way to school.

"You can start to obsess about it," he said. "I'm always kind of peeking out the window to see who's been in it, and to see people."

Saanich Coun. Teale Phelps Bondaroff has led the GVPN's push for creating and upkeeping local little free libraries.

"I think the project has kind of adopted a momentum of its own," he said.

"The little free library is so enticing because not only is it a cute, whimsical intervention on the landscape, but you're encouraged to interact with it — a little library demands to be opened and checked."

He first got involved with the book boxes in 2017, when there were just over 100 across southern Vancouver Island. Since then, Phelps Bondaroff estimates from tallies collected from weekly book drop-off runs that the project has helped distribute more than 128,000 free books.

It was Phelps Bondaroff who recruited More, an 82-year-old former music professor who has taken up woodworking in his retirement, to begin crafting book boxes. More makes them primarily out of repurposed materials — keeping an eye out for potential supplies on Facebook Marketplace, and an ear out for nearby roofers who might have shingles to spare.

"I'm a bit of a dumpster diver," he said. "Driving down the street, I see a night table sitting by the road and pick it up."

After four hours in his garage workshop, he can transform scrap materials or old furniture into a new little library. 

To More, who received a community impact award from the City of Victoria last year for gifting the little libraries he's built, it's not necessarily about the books. Growing up the son of a minister, he's long had a passion for projects that build community.

In celebration of the thousandth little free library, the GVPN is hosting a festival on Sep. 20 at the Oaklands Community Centre. It will feature live music, a "petting zoo" of little libraries for people to interact with and an auction of book boxes made by More and another local builder, with proceeds going to the Victoria Literacy Connection. 

While More is in the process of building his 99th, 100th and 101st little libraries for the auction this week, he doesn't see the enthusiasm for them going away anytime soon.

"Every year I sort of slow down and I think, 'Well, the community is sated,' and I figure that's gonna be it," he said. "And then all comes alive again."

Emily Fagan is a journalist based in Victoria, B.C. She was previously a staff reporter for the Toronto Star. Her work has also appeared in publications including the Globe and Mail, Vice, and the Washington Post. You can send her tips at emily.fagan@cbc.ca.

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