RCRG - Blog - Building a Library
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RCRG Blog

Building a Library

Published February 20, 2020

By Ryan Luetzen, Manager, Resource Development & Communications

It was just before 1:00pm on February 19 when Caitlin Lamb, the Administrative Assistant at our Child Care Resource & Referral Centre (CCRR), pulled into the Caring Place parking lot. She indicated that she needed some help unloading her cargo, so a group of us went outside to lend a hand.

She was driving RCRG's new Nissan Rogue - the subject, we assure you, of a future blog post - and we could see that the seats had all been lowered, to accommodate something big. We approached the vehicle, and Caitlin opened the trunk to reveal...an eight-foot long, 4.5-inch thick slab of wood!

"It's a table!" Caitlin exclaimed. Or at least, it will be, once she finishes sanding it, and adding key components, like legs.

On that day, though, it was just a slab of wood, weighing several hundred pounds. It took three of us to lug it into the RCRG office, which is located on the first floor of the building. That's worth mentioning because, at some point soon, we'll have to move it to the second floor, where the CCRR is getting ready to open the new Richmond Early Years Library. Here's hoping it fits in the elevator!

Caitlin wanted to build her own table for practical reasons: having scoured furniture shops around Greater Vancouver, she found nothing that fit the CCRR's new space. More than that, though, she possesses the DIY spirit that's so common in the child care sector. In addition to the table, she's designing the Library's wallpaper, which incorporates a 3D illusion sure to delight children, parents, and child care providers alike.

When the Library opens in March, it will feature thousands of books, games, puzzles, activity kits, and other early learning resources. It represents both a significant expansion and re-imagining of the CCRR's current Library, whose materials occupy - and overflow from - every cupboard, drawer, nook, and cranny in the program's main office, on the third floor of the Caring Place.

By giving the Library its own dedicated space, the CCRR will not only provide itself with some breathing room, but offer Library patrons a more pleasant browsing and borrowing experience.

In time, the Library will come to include a felt crafting area, as well as space for storytime programs. And those are just two of the million (give or take) ideas Caitlin and the CCRR team would like to implement.

Speaking of the CCRR team, it recently grew by one, with the addition of Karen Lim. A seasoned child care professional, Karen will serve as Librarian and Administrative Assistant, helping parents and child care providers find and access resources.

We already know Karen will be an excellent fit at the CCRR, as she has the same creative streak and DIY sensibility as her colleagues. In Karen's case, this comes through in one of her hobbies: making toys. Like Caitlin's table and wallpaper, we're sure that a few of Karen's creations will find their way into the Richmond Early Years Library.

The Richmond Early Years Library will open in March, on the second floor of the Richmond Caring Place. To learn more, contact the Richmond Child Care Resource & Referral Centre at 604-279-7143 or childcare@rcrg.org.

Photo Caption: CCRR staff members Karen Lim and Ellen Huang.