Vancouver Public Library hosts speed dating for bookworms

The chronically single and serial daters of today are certainly not lacking in ways to meet potential matches, with the plethora of online dating sites, speed dating events, millionaires' clubs and dating shows like The Bachelor to help in their quests for "the one." But for those who prefer to get their romance from the pages of a good, old fashioned love story, Read Dating at the Vancouver Public Library (VPL) might be just the place to find a match made in literary heaven.

VPL's free-of-charge Read Dating program, a cross between speed dating and a book club, started this past November when 52 singles paired up for 4-minute mini-date rotations, each armed with a favourite book or CD and assigned a book-themed pseudonym to add some humour to the necessary act of protecting one's privacy.

"The program offers a friendly and familiar environment," says Robbie Burma, assistant manager of VPL's Central Library's Popular Reading Library. "We meet lots of people in the library who are new to the city or they'd like to meet other people who read."

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Of the first two sessions held, one was for heterosexual 19- to 35-year-olds and the other was for lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender/queer (LGBTQ), reports the Globe and Mail. After the huge success of the first two events, VPL decided to host two more sessions to coincide with Valentine's Day—one for 35- to 55-year-olds and one for 55+.

"Those sessions we fully attended and actually over-registered, with a few people even waiting at the doors in case there were no-shows," says Burma.

Although Burma isn't aware of any love connections made as a result of Read Dating, there has been a lot of positive feedback from the participants.

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Caleb Lee, for example, attended because he doesn't enjoy online dating or the bar scene. He tells the Globe and Mail, "It just seemed like such a nerdy place to [meet people] and I liked that." While Lee didn't meet his match at the library, he headed out for drinks with some of the daters after the event and ended up getting a second date out of it.

Sheila Maier, VPL information assistant, suggested the idea to the library after hearing about this type of event being held in San Francisco. "It's like a first baby step into the dating world," she tells the Globe and Mail. "It's safe. They feel comfortable in the library."

Not to worry if you missed out on the four Read Dating sessions that have taken place so far, because the VPL is thinking about hosting another session in June, followed by a second one for the LGBTQ community in July, to tie in with Vancouver's pride week celebrations.

And if you're not in Vancouver? You might be able to catch a glimpse of the action without actually being there, as Burma admits there's been interest from companies wanting to document the program on film.