Write to Read BC

Tag: books

  • Gitsegukla library installed, despite COVID-19 limits

    After a long drive from Prince George, the installation team arrived in Gitsegukla at 2:45pm on a Tuesday, ready to install a library for the school and community.

    The installation took 3 days, while the school was closed for holidays. To comply with COVID-19 restrictions, the out-of-town volunteers obviously could not socialise or stay with community members. The efforts of the volunteers, including members of Write to Read BC’s library response team, were planned from start to finish.

    The entrance of Gitsegukla library.
    A literacy-focused addition to the community.

    On arrival, the library response team swung into action, with the school staff and principal Louise Ormerod. Once the furniture was unloaded, the library response team started organizing the layout of the learning centre, with its internet connection that allows remote attendance at courses and conferences..

    Delivering books at Gitsegukla library.
    Volunteers unloading a delivery of library books.

    Fetching sponsors

    On Day 1, the team started early and progressed well. Total Support Services Chief executive officer Chris Gillen made a “quick” 3-hour return trip to Terrace to fetch more shelving tabs and an HDMI cable for the TV.

    Chris Gillen, CEO of Total Support Solutions, helping to install the Gitsegukla library.
    Chris Gillen of Total Support helps troubleshoot the learning centre’s computers at no cost.

    How Total Support Services joined Write to Read BC

    For a Victoria-Harbourside Rotary Club meeting a few weeks before the Gitsegukla library were installed, Write to Read BC co-lead Bob Blacker gave a presentation about the program, by video call. One of the audience members mentioned that her son-in-law was working with First Nations to provide computers, IT solutions, and training. A few days later Bob received a call from Chris at Total Support, expressing interest. As a result of this connection, Write to Read BC now has a supplier of computers and related hardware needed for learning centres. In addition, Total Support will, at no cost to the libraries—provide online support for any computer problems that surface. This has been huge for Write to Read BC, as support for computers has always been a concern; now we do not have to worry about that.

    After 3 days of hard work, the Write to Read BC team, along with principal Ormerod and her staff, completed Write to Read’s very first “version 3” learning centre.

    We had some hiccups over the three days, which is to be expected, but we were able to prevail. The new library and resource centre looks great.

    The team that installed Gitsegukla library.
    Masks off for the group photo: The satisfied team that installed the library and learning centre.

    Preceded by planning and design

    The team leads recalled the process that led to the installation of this library.

    The Write to Read BC team met with Chief Willie and three council members, overlooking Princess Lake. This meeting allowed members of the team to chat with key members of the community. The evening ended with a handshake between Chief Willie and Write to Read BC team co-lead, Bob Blacker, cementing the agreement and the blossoming friendship and trust with Gitsegukla.

    As one of the team members said: “This is what makes it all worth it.”

    After installing a library, what's next? The design response team's Scott Kemp introduces an imagineering session so the community can capture their ideas.
    An earlier imagineering session: What does the community’ envision next?

    The evening was topped off with an imagineering session, lead by design response team member, Scott Kemp. This was also a new experience for the Write to Read BC team.

    Large screen and computer table, at Gitsegukla library.
    Key components of the learning centre: a large screen and a computer table.
    Processing newly arrived books at Gitsegukla library, in a well-lit space that also serves as a classroom.
    At this point still a warehouse of books, this room will soon be a classroom.

  • Five libraries ready to install

    Over the next few months, we’ll be installing furniture and books at five locations, ranging from Vancouver to BC’s interior. Most of these libraries are linked to a community school or preschool, including in Squamish Nation, Tsideldel First Nation, Williams Lake First nation, and Aboriginal Mothers Care Centre.

    • Gitsegukla, in the Skeena region of west central BC, on the southeast side of the Skeena River adjacent to the Kitseguecla River mouth, near New Hazleton, BC.
    • Learning Centre at Tsideldel First Nation, located in the Chilcotin region of BC’s western central interior.
    • Littlest People Elementary School, a Homulchesan school in the Squamish Nation, next to the mouth of the Capilano River, in Greater Vancouver.
    • Aboriginal Mothers Care Centre in Vancouver’s downtown eastside neighbourhood. It’s a place where Aboriginal mothers, babies, and children can come to be together as a family.
    • Little Chiefs Elementary School library in Williams Lake First Nation, which is located in the Cariboo region of BC’s central interior, at Williams Lake.

  • Rocky Pines library nearly ready

    Write to Read BC’s 17th library is getting ready for its official opening, after the recent installation of shelves and books by Write to Read BC volunteers.

    Preparations involved a trip on the high seas by BC Ferry to the Nanaimo Correctional Centre to pick up furniture build for the library, and a visit to the Write to Read storage locker, provided by U-Lock Storage, to pick up a shipment of books.

    Rocky Pines building before the library was installed.
    The final touches: the outside of the Rocky Pines community building before the library was installed in one of its rooms.

    The library response team, volunteers Margaret, Carol, Liz, and Marion, made the trip to the Rocky Pines community, sometimes called the Lower Nicola Indian Band, near Merritt, BC, where they coordinated with local volunteers to prepare the furniture, shelves, and books for the library’s opening. Other volunteers later set up the TV and computers for the library’s learning centre, which will offer remote attendance to courses and conferences via Internet.

    Still to come is an amazing donation of new Indigenous-authored books from GoodMinds.com. This donation of 1,000 books for readers from pre-schoolers to adults, is an $18,000 gift to the community.

    In the Rocky Pines community centre, a space is ready for the library.
    A team visit to the community centre shows it’s ready for the library response team to install the shelves, seating, books, and technology.

  • Xeni Gwet’in

    About the community

    Xeni Gwet’in First Nations Government, part of the Tŝilhqot’in Nation, is about 200 km west of Williams Lake, BC. Tŝilhqot’in is often translated as People of the River, or People of the Blue Water. 

    About one third of the Xeni Gwet’in community’s 400 members lives on their traditional territory. The people in Xeni Gwet’in maintain their land and their system of governance, as they always have. The land is a unique ecosystem, mountainous, crossed by glacial waterways and covered in forest. The government works towards community self-governance, with an emphasis on unity, respect, trust, and pride in the Tsilhqot’in heritage, language, and culture. The goals of Xeni Gwet’in government are to conserve the natural resources of its territory, keep the ecosystem healthy, in an economically sustainable way.

    The band runs the local roads yard as well as a gas-bar, and built a housing subdivision with its own electrical grid, since the community is not connected to the main BC Hydro grid. The band manages its health program, and the local school serves Kindergarten to Grade 8 in three classrooms. Its teachers are long-term residents.

    About the library

    In partnership with the community, Write to Read BC discussed the vision for a library, which was then designed and constructed.

  • Nisaika Kumtuks library opens

    Write to Read BC celebrated the grand opening of its 16th library and learning centre, Nisaika Kumtuks school, the little school with a huge heart.

    Lieutenant-governor of BC Judith Guichon attended, along with members of the school.

    One of the students, David, greeted Guichon, before taking part in a procession. The children performed a drumming song, and read a story for Guichon. To conclude the ceremony, the school library received its formal name—one that its students chose.

    In addition to books that appeal to students from Kindergarten to Grade 4, the school also offers online attendance to online courses and conferences from its learning centre. The library is equipped with four iPads, 2 all-in-one Hewlett Packard computers, and a TV with video conferencing capabilities. This benefit the students as well as their parents. School principal Heather Goodall will open the school library to parents of its students. This gives parents have access to the Internet and to online learning, as well.

    The TV screen, a donation that Write to Read BC arranged, was a pleasant surprise to Goodall.

    The shelving was made especially for the library by inmates at the Nanaimo Correctional Centre. Write to Read BC co-lead Bob Blacker said: “They do amazing work, and are very proud of their contribution to our libraries.”

  • Lax Kw’alaams shelving, furniture

    Write to Read BC partner, Nanaimo Correctional Centre, has finished an order of library furniture for the Lax Kw’alaams Tsimshian Academy and Community Library. This shipment of shelves, bound for Metlakatla Pass, is now being trucked to Prince Rupert by project partner, Bandstra Transportation. Bandstra provides Write to Read BC with free trucking.

    These shelves follow an earlier shipment in late 2016. The arrival of those shelves were accompanied by Write to Read BC’s library response team and Rotary Club of Mission BC volunteers. Together with Lax Kw’alaams community members and academy librarian Naomi White, they sorted and placed books onto the first batch of shelves.

    There were many books left over, and the second furniture shipment to the academy will help get most of those books onto shelves. A third shipment of shelves is scheduled for the end of June 2017. Mission Rotary Club volunteers will pick up the shelving in Nanaimo, drive it to Port Hardy, and then take it to Prince Rupert on the overnight ferry.

    Learning centre equipment

    Also in June, Write to Read BC will ship four Hewlett Packard all-in-one computers and 4 mini pads (tablets). This will allow the academy to offer remote attendance to courses and conferences, online, from its learning centre.

    Volunteers sitting between the shelves and books of the Lax Kw'alaam library.
    An example of installed shelves in a Write to Read BC library by its library response team.

    Once the library response team has finished with the library, and the computers and tablets are installed, the library will be ready for its formal opening ceremony. It’s been operating in Metlakatla since early 2015. It is 11th Write to Read BC library and learning centre.

  • Readying Ahousaht shelves, books

    The building for the Ahousaht community library is in place, and Write to Read BC’s construction response team has visited the site to view the building.

    Our library response team is now putting together a collection of books. Furniture has to be made and delivered when the library response team sets up the library.

    The library will likely open in the fall of 2014. It’s another success story for the partnership model, which matches communities, Write to Read BC volunteers, and other partners.

  • Yekooche to improve library

    Located on Stuart Lake near Fort Saint James the Principal of the Community School Eric Di Nozi contacted Write to Read BC for assistance to regenerate their school library and make it into a community library.

    Write to Read BC visited the community in November 2015 to discuss partnership and proejct possibilities. We agreed Write to Read BC will provide shelves and books. Our library response team is putting together books, and shelving will have to be made by Nanaimo Correctional Centre.

    Two Rotary clubs will be involved. One will collect the books and computer hardware. The other will deliver the shelving and assist in putting the library together. We anticipate doing this during the summer, an optimal time for travelling to the community.

  • Tsay Keh Dene library arrives

    In Tsay Keh Dene, the library is now onsite. Our Write to Read BC library response team visited and set up the library shelves and furniture. Next, Indigenous books will be ordered.

    Once we have the computers installed in the library we will be ready to open it.

  • Library with learning centre in Lax Kw’alaams

    After partnering with Write to Read BC, the isolated community of Lax Kw’alaams conceived of a community library that meets their literacy and learning needs.

    Another Write to Read BC partner, Mission Rotary Club, asked its community to contribute $5,000 to the project, and then doubled that with a $5,000 grant. The Rotary Club volunteers also set up the library in October.

    Shelves awaiting installation.
    The loading dock and crew at Bandstra Transportation that ships shelves to Write to Read BC libraries.

    This new library in Lax Kw’alaams, formerly known as Port Simpson, has shelves of books to read, comfortable seating, and computers for remote attendance in courses and conferences in its learning centre.

    Curved shelves of books at the Lax Kw'alaams library and learning centre.
    Shelves of books in Lax Kw’alaams library.
    Seats and shelves of books at the Lax Kw'alaams library and learning centre.
    Seating and more shelves of books in the library in Lax Kw’alaams, BC.