Books and airplanes are natural companions.
But with last-minute packing and preparations, often reading material is left behind as passengers dash out the door to make their flight on time.
The Thunder Bay Public Library and Thunder Bay International Airports Authority have a solution, introducing on Thursday the Flybrary.
Tucked away in a quiet nook on the airport’s ground floor, passengers are free to grab a book to take with them on the plane and enjoy while on vacation or away from home on business. The hope, said chief librarian John Pateman, is that travelers will return the book upon arrival back in Thunder Bay, or leave another book they’ve finished with in its place.
“This is a first in Thunder Bay, maybe a first in Canada,” Pateman said, officially opening the Flybrary for business.
“It’s an opportunity for the library to advertise its presence in the community and to provide books for people to borrow and take away and bring back, or not, to replace. It’s just a statement to say the Thunder Bay Public Library exists in the city, beyond the four libraries that we operate.”
It’s win-win for passengers, he added.
“The beauty of it is it’s very simple. There are no rules or regulations. You just take a book and put it back or not, as the case may be.”
It’s popularity was evident on Day 1, with some passengers grabbing books before the official launch. Titles vary, from popular authors like Dan Brown and Danielle Steele to a wide range of children’s books for younger flyers.
It’s a partnership the airport authority jumped at said Ed Schmidtke, president and chief executive officer.
“We’ve seen these community libraries popping up on lawns around town and when the library came with the Flybrary idea, we thought it was just a natural (fit),” Schmidtke said.
“Downtime is inevitable. The book is still a fabulous communication tool. People drop them in the building from time to time. So if you’ve got some unexpected dwell time, a little longer than maybe you wanted and you don’t have a book with you, now we’ve got another opportunity to entertain you.”
The Flybrary also includes a pair of handcrafted white birch chairs, built by local craftsman Nathan Kushner.
The initial collection of books was donated from the TBPL's inventory.
