With warmer temperatures leading to walks around the neighbourhood, you might have stumbled across one of Moose Jaw’s many Little Libraries. 

The Little Libraries, typically located on front yards in a conspicuous spot, are an opportunity for people to swap books with others free of charge. 

“It’s the idea of ‘take a book, read it, bring it back, or put it in a different Little Library,’” explained Teresa Davies, administrator and founder of the Moose Jaw Little Libraries Facebook group.  

“I would describe it as a free lending system, no card required – no payment, and a way to make another use out of a book that you may have bought and read.” 

Teresa Davies and her husband Delmar have been living and working in Moose Jaw for 25 years. Books are one of their varied interests, and back in January, they launched the Facebook page to help bring awareness to the Little Libraries around the city, including their own at B12 Prairie Oasis Trailer Court.  

Davies said that while her own Little Library started out as books, she expanded. “Last fall I threw in a couple sandwich bags full of marigold seeds just to see what would happen with those, and they were gone pretty much the next day.” 

“One day I went out and noticed the door was a little open, and I realized someone had put in three or four jigsaw puzzles.” 

She and her husband decided to create a separate unit for their library called “Puzzles and Pastimes” to accommodate puzzles, gardening items, paint-by-numbers, paper models, and children’s toys. 

“This spring we added what we called the ‘Dog Library’. It’s got a basket with a ‘leave a stick take a stick’ sign. We’ve got some sticks and dog toys in there, and then we made a little watering station as well. I change that water out probably three times a day." 

Davies and her husband have compiled a Google Map of the approximately 30 Little Library locations around Moose Jaw, which you can find here.  

“It’s always fun just to stumble upon one when you’re driving by or walking by, but sometimes it’s nice to know the exact location,” she explained. 

For more information, or to let Moose Jaw know about your own Little Library, you can find their Facebook page here.  

Davies’ advice for starting your own Little Library is to make sure it’s a size you’re comfortable with, and that it has a door that can close securely. She said that she also likes to make regular checks on her Little Library. “Once I notice that maybe 5 or 6 books have stayed there for quite a while, I’ll swap them out with others I have in the house.” 

Teresa and Demlar Davies' Little Library (Photo: Teresa Davies)Teresa and Demlar Davies' Little Library (Photo: Teresa Davies)