Regina Silent Book Club hosts junk journaling event at downtown pub

Nearly 40 people gathered at O’Hanlon’s Irish Pub for a junk journaling event, with donated supplies from libraries and organizers. Sierra D’Souza Butts reports

Book lovers in Regina are taking advantage of their passion for arts and crafts through a junk journaling event.

Organized by YQR Silent Book Club, the special event consisted of 40 people who created their own versions of “junk journals” at O’Hanlon’s Irish Pub on Sunday.

“There’s no wrong way to do it. You can do a bullet journal style, you can do a monthly journal style. It’s really all up to you,” explained Mallory LaBine, organizer of YQR Silent Book Club.

“It’s basically just taking images and popping them in a book, whatever your aesthetic is.”

Members from the club meet on a weekly basis to read and discuss books together.

The special event was held in effort to attract new members and offer people a creative environment to work in.

“It’s a great way to get community together, especially the group that we have,” said LaBine. “There’s always new people for the crafting events as well. It feels good to have something to do in Regina when it’s this cold out.”

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Janelle Lubkiwski, who has been attending the club’s weekly book reading events, said she enjoys meeting new people.

“It is so much fun. You always collect so many stickers and little things and you don’t know what to do with them. Now they all have a home,” Lubkiwski said smiling, as she worked on a journal that displayed her favourite things.

“I like being social, having fun and letting my creative side fly a little bit.”

Aside from people bringing their own materials, supplies were provided through donations from curators of the event, along with the Regina Public Library book sales and Little Free Libraries.

“Sometimes there are books that are too damaged to pass on and we’ll take them and use them for our crafts,” said Dominique Daschuk, one of the curators for the event.

“As well, individuals have offered some money for supplies for this event. We have gotten a few items that way too from second-hand bookstores and such.”

Daschuk, who helped come up with the idea for the event, said the activity is environmentally friendly as it provides an opportunity for people to get rid of any old and unused materials they have sitting in their homes.

“We really want to emphasize getting rid of the stuff you don’t want or don’t have a use for immediately, and not over buying too much,” Daschuk said.

“It’s just partially about using what we have and sharing it with others.”

This will not be the club’s last junk journal event as they continue to plan for future events during the cold weather extending into the summer season.

LaBine added people are always welcome to join the group’s weekly events.

People who are interested can check the club’s social media page.