GREAT HOLY SPIRIT. The Grand-Saint-Esprit library has been almost unrecognizable for several months. She took on color by exposing her best assets, that is to say…her many books!
Before, closed cabinets served as shelving. “The doors were padlocked,” recalls Chantal Fleurent, responsible for community life at the municipality, who is behind the metamorphosis of the library. “I found that, visually, it sent a message: We keep our books just for ourselves. It was almost intimidating. »
Now the books are released. The place is inviting. To the point where it serves much more often as a meeting place, to the great happiness of Mme Fleurent, who always believed in the potential of the library. “In Grand-Saint-Esprit, we don’t have many services. We have no local shops, no school, no church, no post office… We needed a gathering place where people could meet informally. »
Yes, the municipality has a beautiful leisure room, but for this training documentation technician, it was clear that it would be advantageous for the municipality to make the library even more known; to highlight it so that it is even more frequented. “The municipality already fully supports the library. It is not affiliated with the -Biblio Network because it is expensive on a pro rata basis. It is managed by volunteers. When I met with them to share my vision, they bought into it immediately. »
It was also one of the volunteers and her partner who spent an entire evening unscrewing the doors, says Mme Fleurent: “The next day, I went to see it. There was a rainbow of colors in the library, suddenly! It was magnificent, the color given by the bindings of the books. It contrasted with the white walls! », she marvels.
Accessible for all
She points out that for two years, it is through the library that parents from the community daycare service go to pick up and pick up their children. “They see the library, and so do the children. It puts them in contact with books,” says the woman who also wanted to give educators access to the shelves to, for example, prepare a “story hour” for children or simply allow them to handle a book at home. ‘occasion. “It’s something extremely important from a very young age,” recalls M.me Fleurent.
At the other end of the premises are the trades room and the FADOQ premises. In her development vision, the municipality’s head of community life imagined an intergenerational space. “Everything came together for the library to become one without requiring dazzling investment. Because a library isn’t just a place where you have to whisper. It’s a cultural environment. It’s a meeting place. It goes beyond consulting books. »
A dynamic environment
She shared her vision with a guide from the “My dynamic environment” pilot project, headed by Pôle d’entreprises sociale Centre-du-Québec. It was with his help that everything came to fruition.
Today, several activities take place there. For example, very recently, a kinesiologist from the CIUSSS MCQ came to present the interactive children’s puzzle “ gregrouille “, and a police technology student came to give tips for a
Safe Halloween. On December 7, in the morning, a reading activity will deal with the “real life of snowmen” and will be accompanied by a thematic craft.
A cultural mediation project (collective work) is also on the table in partnership with Culture Centre-du-Québec. “We are looking at what form it can take and the space we will devote to it. We intend to hold a citizen consultation,” mentions M.me Fleurent.
In short, the Grand-Saint-Esprit library is revitalized. It is open on Thursdays between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. and every Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. It can sometimes be done on request. Also, book donations are accepted at any time. To find out more, simply contact Chantal Fleurent at the municipality.
Related News :