When carbon monoxide forced residents to be evacuated from their homes at McDougald Terrace, we supported the children and their families by providing free books, activity sheets, small giveaways, and access to other library services through the bookmobile. The Friends of the Durham Library generously provided adult fiction and nonfiction. Some hotels allowed library staff to set up and manage tables in their breakfast areas while others welcomed new bookshelves with a variety of books.
 
One outcome of this initiative is that we’ve established ongoing partnerships as some hotels have elected to keep their bookshelves! These bookshelves will be maintained by staff from the Family Literacy and Community Services unit who were instrumental in ensuring that the displaced families remained connected to library services.