Nichole Zalewski was carrying on a family tradition last week when she painted the Langley Library sign.

Carved over 20 years ago by her uncle, Kevin Moss, the sign was in definite need of a facelift. For that reason Zalewski has a special interest in its upkeep, and she also wants to perform community service.

“This is something I can do for the community, and the sign is special to me,” Zalewski said.

The sign was installed in the early 1980s and hasn’t been touched since then. In comparison to the new library it looked pretty drab, Zalewski thought.

So, with a little help from her family, the young girl’s request to paint the sign was approved by the Langley Library Board and the city of Langley.

The result is handcarved lettering now painted to match the purple trim of the library building. A butterfly bush in bloom behind the sign is about the same color as the paint.

“It’s about time,” Zalewski said.

The handcarved sign started out to be a bench, after now retired librarian Nancy Lindholt contacted Moss to build a bench for the library. But the pair couldn’t agree on a style, so they settled on the sign.

Moss carved the sign with the help of friends Owen Payne and Michael Glasier. Financial backing from Paul Fournier helped get the sign finished and installed.