Mom raises money for more French-language books at IWK library

A mom from Caraquet, N.B., is looking to add more French-language children's books to the library at the IWK Children's Hospital in Halifax.

Liette Thériault's nine-year-old son, Jérémie, has been staying at the hospital after he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. She said there aren't many French selections at the hospital's library.

"Well, when we arrived, like, a month ago, our first visit we came here and we stayed a week and we thought it was a little long and we were a little bored," said Thériault. "So we started to look around and we found some books and games, but there were a lot in English."

Thériault initially wanted to donate second-hand French books and games, but learned the hospital wouldn't accept them.

She started a GoFundMe page to buy new books and games. As of Sunday afternoon, she had reached her goal of $3,000.

She pledged the new books would be bought from two local businesses in Caraquet.

"I'm really, really happy," Thériault said.

Andrea Reynolds, a librarian at the family library at the IWK Health Centre, said there are currently 222 French books at the library. 

"I would say probably the French books are about a little under the quarter of the collection," she said. "We also have movies for children to watch in their rooms, DVDs, so there's about 700 movies ... and most of those are in both languages, French and English," Reynolds said.

Reynolds said the collection, funded by the IWK auxiliary, is growing all the time.

She said the library recently moved to a new space with more room. She said Thériault's contribution of more French books is "an incredibly generous thing to do."

"It's wonderful because we definitely could grow the French collection more and make it more visible," Reynolds said.