Write to Read BC

Category: Update

For minor updates of interest mainly to Write to Read BC teams, communities, and partners.

  • Promoting Write to Read BC with BCLA librarians

    Today, Write to Read BC announced the launch of this updated website to members of BC Library Association, or BCLA. That’s because BCLA members are well placed to promote the Write to Read BC project. The announcement also mentions an upcoming impact study about communities that have an indigenous-led library.

    BC Library Association logo.

    The role of librarians

    Librarians focus on advocacy, professional development, and support of intellectual freedom. BCLA members work to ensure everyone has equitable access to information, ideas, and works of the imagination. In contrast, Write to Read BC does the same by following the lead of First Nations communities.

    The announcement to BCLA

    This is what today’s announcement covered:

    On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation it’s fitting to announce two things about the long-lasting Write to Read BC project.

    1. There is a new website, writetoreadbc.org.
    2. An impact study is in its final stages, with a report scheduled to be released in November.

    As many of you know, former lieutenant-governor of BC Steven Point envisioned and initiated this project during his time in that role between 2007 and 2012. A key partner in making the project a reality was his aide-de-camp at the time, Bob Blacker, an active member of a Rotary Club. CBC carried a story about this joint effort in May of 2014, as did various newspapers.

    Fast forward and along the way to 2025, Write to Read BC has collaborated with numerous Indigenous communities, under their leadership, to plan and install highly local libraries and learning centres. The new website documents these multiple efforts going back to 2011.

    Funding and support for the new website and the impact report was generously provided by SFU’s Main Street Research Shop. It collaborates with community partners, students, and faculty members to address community questions and concerns through research. The SFU Indigenous Student Centre has been equally generous in contributing in-kind support for a portion of the work schedule to co-supervise both the research and the web development.

  • Daylu Dena library books coming soon

    The co-leads of Write to Read BC plan to travel to Daylu Dena’s new library in early November 2025. They will deliver books and computers.

    The books will provide the indigenous focus that the community envisioned for its library.

    The computers and high-speed Internet connection will allow the library to offer remote access to online courses and conferences. Librarians typically refer to this as a learning centre.

  • Lheidli T’enneh Fort George library

    Leaders of Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, educators, and Write to Read BC volunteers have discussed the community’s vision for an indigenous-led library. A library offers support for programs that interest the community.

    Also, the library’s collection will represent Indigenous communities.

  • Gitanmaax library gets shelving

    Near the village of Hazelton, Write to Read BC volunteers recently delivered custom shelving required for the community’s school library. The shelves will also display important cultural objects, in both enclosed and open displays.

    New shelving and open displays of culturally important objects.
    New shelving, to be filled with books by the library response team. On the left is an open display case that shows framed historical photos and wooden models of traditional Indigenous housing.

    The school’s plan is nearing completion. The shelves were built for the library by Nanaimo Correctional Centre.

    This is the 23rd library the Write to Read BC project will install in isolated communities across BC, in partnership with the community.

  • Preparing to install Daylu Dena library

    Write to Read BC’s co-leads met to plan the installation of books and equipment in the Daylu Dena civic building by the end of the year.

    The building was completed a year ago, and the community and Write to Read BC are both eager to see the library installed.

    Since the library was built as part of a larger contract, it came fully finished with shelving and furniture. Write to Read library response team only needed to provide the books and computers, including a monitor. This reduced the need for financial input from Write to Read BC.

    Foyer and offices upstairs in Dalyu Dena's cultural and adminsitration building.
    The library is on the upper level, with a glass wall to admit plenty of light.

  • Visit to Daylu Dena’s civic-building site


    This month, Write to Read BC’s design response team visited Daylu Dena, just south of Watson Lake, BC. Visitors included lead architect Scott Kemp and Ryan Arsenault.

    Daylu Dena civic building: a construction site in winter.
    For our visit in late 2023, the Daylu Dena civic building was a winter construction site.

    The community is constructing a cultural and administrative building that will be completed in 2024. The building will have:

    • a Service BC office for driver’s licensing and other government business.
    • administration offices and a council chamber for Daylu Dene community business.
    • an adjoining room for the judge’s chamber, so the council chamber can be used as a court room.
    • a large gym.
    • a commercial kitchen and a coffee shop.
    • a recording studio, and language room.

    An Indigenous library

    Of course, the Daylu Dena civic building will also have a Write to Read BC library, the first to be stocked only with Indigenous books.

    A site visit to the cultural and administration building as construction approaches completion.
    Write to Read BC volunteers inside the construction site, looking up at the future location of the library.

    The library is planned for the top floor, overlooking the foyer. Its glass wall will admit lots of light.

    There team will return in 2024 to help plan the library with the community.

  • Capilano Little Ones gets library

    One of Squamish Nation’s urban schools, Capilano Littlest Ones Xwemelch’stn School, celebrated its new library in November 2022. The school is on Squamish land in Greater Vancouver.

    The school brings together 130 Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in the Norgate area of urban North Vancouver. The school and its library help break down social barriers, build bridges across cultures, and re-establish positive relationships. Capilano Littlest Ones is a community school under the auspices of North Vancouver School District.

  • Usborn funding for books

    Usborne Books at Home is funding $1,000 each for Write to Read BC’s current library projects. A discussion over the summer led to Usborne’s support for the libraries of Gitsegukla, Tsideldel, and Heiltsuk first nations.

    With each $1,000 order, Usborne will also provide free shipping and a 25% credit for additional purchases. This helps Write to Read BC make cash donations go even further. Our volunteer team thanks Usborne and its local representative, Louise Toews, for their generosity.

    Logo for Usborne Books At Home Canada.

    Write to read BC volunteer Wendy Brundage visited Gitsegukla in early September, and will follow up with the Elementary School’s principal Louise Ormerod to consult on the school’s book choices.

    Usborne is based in southern Ontario, and has been in business for over 50 years. It’s a past winner of Children’s Book Publisher of the Year. Its mission is to help spread a love of literacy to kids and their families across Canada.

  • 10 BC libraries to get SILT funds

    In April, Write to Read BC members identified 10 libraries eligible for funding from the Supporting Indigenous Libraries Today foundation, or SILT. Its goal is to support Indigenous communities that do not currently have a public library, and to help existing First Nations public libraries to expand.

    SILT foundation is set up by Goodminds.com, which donates 5% of sales to the foundation.

    SILT supports Write to Read BC with generous funding. In Bella Bella, a Write to Read BC library received books worth $10,000 this summer. SILT also donated over $8,000 to support the Gitsegukla community library in BC with a donation of new books.

    Write to Read BC co-lead, Bob Blacker, said: “The response to these books from our communities has been amazing. For the kids, it is the best part of the library. SILT is a true platinum sponsor of our project.” Blacker gives his heartfelt gratitude to Goodminds.com owner Achilles Gentle, and former owner Jeff Burnham.

    Burnham is a member of the Write to read BC team of volunteers.

    SILT logo. SILT is a foundation funded by Goodminds.com.

    Blacker invites indigenous-led libraries in BC to contact Write to Read BC for information on how to access and use SILT funds for books.

    Act now:

    Contact Write to Read BC

  • 14 palettes of books to Lax Kw’alaams

    The Lax Kw’alaams library, part of the Write to Read BC project, was featured in a Vancouver Sun article. It describes community reactions to the arrival of new library books.

    Excerpt from Vancouver Sun, March 20, 2021.

    By Douglas Todd

    “Please bring us more books” First Nation librarians ask.

    Naomi White still remembers her delight when she saw a barge full of books moving across the inlet to her village of Lax Kw’alaams, north of Prince Rupert.

    “It was amazing,” the First Nation librarian said.

    Six volunteers from Metro Vancouver helped haul in 14 pallets of books and library furniture so that about 150 school-age children in the small village, 1,000 kilometres north of Vancouver, would get the chance to enhance their literacy.

    “If you don’t know how to read, you don’t know how to do anything,” White said, explaining how literacy is the key to more First Nation people advancing into higher education and holding down jobs in the trades, businesses and professions.

    “We’re just so isolated here, especially during COVID. Now we’re better able to foster the love of learning. And to pass on that reading is power. The more you know the better off you are,” said White, describing how many young people in the village are keen to learn about the larger world through the library.

    For the full article, use this link to the Vancouver Sun, or open this PDF version stored on our website.