Gateacre School in conjunction with Belle Vale Shopping Centre has created The BIG Little Library by Gateacre School. It’s a “take a book, return a book, donate a book” gathering place where the community can share their favourite literature and stories. In its most basic form, a Little Library is a box full of books where anyone may stop by and pick up a book (or two) and bring back another book
to share. We have taken it one step further by creating an actual shop full of books, which have been donated by local residents, businesses, students and the wider community. The purpose of the shop is:
• To become an inspiring gathering place where the community can share their favourite literature and stories.
• To help to engage all members of the local communities; from children, young people and adults from different backgrounds.
• To encourage people to enjoy reading and discover how it benefits their wellbeing.
• To develop a broader range of English and Literacy skills.
• To build strong, mutually supportive communities who read together.
• To provide enjoyable, welcoming and meaningful activities within the community, inspiring people to engage in other local and city-wide activities.
• To improve wellbeing, increase social engagement and widen cultural horizons. Along with many literacy and creative activities taking place in the shop itself, in 2015 we constructed 10 Little Libraries and donated them to our local community to create a network of Little Libraries. In 2016 our new initiative is the launch of our Neighbourbook Watch scheme. Inspired by one of our regular customers last year, Neighbourbook Watch is an opportunity to have books delivered free of charge by a neighbour. You can request books based on author, genre or lucky dip by filling out a request slip and dropping it through their letterbox. And, if the BIG Little Library have the books you require (as donated by the local community, during its 6 month opening period), your friendly Neighbourbook Watch Officer will deliver them to you for free!
