Winnipeg library holds adult colouring book session

The growing popularity of adult colouring books prompted a Winnipeg library to host its own colouring session this weekend.

WestwoodLibrary has invited adults and youth alike to brighten up dozens of intricately designed pieces of paper each Saturday in November as part of "Colour Me Happy."

Touted as good stress-relievers, adult colouring books are flying off book store shelves as of late. They have even made their way into Amazon Canada's "most wished for" list ahead of the holidays.

• Stressed out? Try colouring books. (Seriously.)

• Adult colouring books top Amazon Canada's 'most wished for' list

Kelsey Middleton, a reference employee with Westwood Library, said kids no longer have a monopoly on the colouring game.

"We really wanted to give adults the opportunity to get in touch with their inner child," Middleton said. "Have an opportunity to relax, and exercise some mindfulness and use the library as a space for things they never thought they could."

Middleton uses adult colouring books herself. She said they help promote rest and relaxation.

While youngsters often stray outside the lines, the adult genre is more focused on precision and attention to detail, Middleton said.

"The idea is to not go outside of the lines and be as careful as you possibly can," Middleton said. "There's a lot more going on than in comparison to a normal children's colouring book."

Employees of the library came up with the idea to host the events aftertakingnotice of the booming genre.

"We started noticing people were interested in restfulness and mindfulness in general, and these books on mindfulness and colouring started surfacing all over the place," she said. "We decided to bring in something that patrons could actually use."

Evelyn Findlay was one of several to takepart in the colouring session Saturday. As an avid scrapbooker and crafter, the transition into colouring has been quite smoothfor her.

"This is something I thought was cool the fact that they have adult versions of things now," Findlay said, adding it's easy to get lost in the fun.

"It's sort of like how when you're reading a book: you get into it, you can focus on it, [be] calm, you forget about everything else," Findlay added.

The program has been such a hit thatMiddleton said the library is planning on continuing to hold similar events into 2016.

"We've had a lot of success with these programs. We've had a lot of people come out and just relax and use the library and we will for sure be doing them again in the New Year."