CARSTAIRS - Town council has been updated on recent activities at the Carstairs Public Library, including welcoming more than 8,600 visitors in 2021.
Board chair Sarah Chicken and librarian Megan Ginther appeared as a delegation before council during the recent regularly scheduled council meeting, held in person and on Zoom.
In 2021 the library added 1,783 new items, bringing the total collection to 17,634. Library patrons borrowed 51,118 items and 18,383 people visited the library’s website.
The library was open 1,998 hours and had 8,623 visitors. The library’s four staff members answered 5,750 questions.
The library participated in 55 outreach programs and events reached 2,912 people. A total of 134 programs were conducted, with 1,780 people attending.
Nearly 1,000 program bags were packed and distributed. The library’s six computers were used 278 hours and 21,875 people connected to the facility’s free Wi-Fi.
There were a number of special events in 2021, including the Local Artist gallery space having its first exhibits, and the addition of 20 new books in the Read Local collection featuring local writers and illustrators.
The library is proposing adding one, 20-hour a week library programmer in July. The programmer would facilitate classes and events for adults, provide desk coverage as needed, and work on the library’s social media and traditional advertising, council heard.
Council heard the library’s new Plan for Service is now in effect. It includes a new mission statement: “A place to connect and inspire through ideas, programs, resources and technology”; a new vision statement: “To engage the mind, strengthen the community, and enhance the quality of life, by being the gathering place of our dynamic community”; a new motto: “A place for everyone”; and a new values statement: “Welcoming, responsive, engaging, innovative, accessible.”
The four goals outlined in the plan are as follows: Grow literacy - early years, child and teen literacy skills; Satisfy Curiosity - support lifelong learning; Stimulate Imagination - reading, viewing and listening for pleasure; and Everyone’s Advocate - spread the news about the library.
Councillors accepted the delegation report as information.
