Kelvin Grove roadside library a way to connect with community

Dave Mollard says his community library in Kelvin Grove is a way to give aroha to the community.

When Dave Mollard and his family moved to a new house, he saw an opportunity to share his love of books.

The Kelvin Grove man had seen community libraries in other places and he had always wanted to be "one of those people".

So two years ago the handyman built the roadside James Line Community Library using leftover materials from the family's newly built house.

"It's just a cool way of building connections in our community. During lockdown it was a really valuable resource because people couldn't get out books from the library."

The family's previous house was down a right of way.

"This is the first time we've had good street frontage to do it," Dave says.

"All our family love reading and we wanted to share the love with other people who love reading."

Dave says he has only received positive feedback about the library, where people are free to take and leave books as they like.

"It's given us a reason to talk to people who are walking past. It's all been positive, no negative at all."

The library's collection initially come from the Mollards but they haven't had to add to the shelves since the library opened, such is the quantity of donations.

"We often find piles of new books out there."

He's noticed romantic fiction is popular.

"There must be a hot bed in this community of women reading romantic fiction."

The library's noticeboard regularly changes. When the Guardian visited it read: "With Covid-19, books are the best way to travel to exiting new places."

With a travel guide to Kenya on the shelves and Frank McCourt's memoir of his life in Limerick, Angela's Ashes, travel through words is possible.

There was also a Paullina Simons toe-breaker and the rather dangerously titled, 20 Minute Desserts by Alison and Simon Holst.