DIDSBURY – A delegation from the Didsbury Municipal Library has updated town council on some of the library’s recent activities and plans.
The review came during the recent regularly scheduled council meeting.
So far in 2022, the library has had more than 70,000 checkouts of physical and e-materials and seen more than 4,000 people attending more than 300 program sessions, council heard.
The library’s Wi-Fi is very well used, with about 35,000 sessions so far this year and the average session lasting 24 minutes.
About 30,000 people have visited the library in 2022, with the facility open about 1,800 hours.
Approximately 800 more people have participated in programs in 2022 than in 2021.
The library currently has six desktop computers and six laptops, which have been used to for example help patrons prepare taxes, write resumes, and complete immigration paperwork.
There are also 71 new card holders who are Didsbury residents.
Plans going forward in 2023 include efforts to increase adult programming, host workshops including partnering with local businesses to focus on economic growth, as well as offering technology instruction and programs.
Work will also continue to ensure ongoing school outreach with local students.
The proposed 2023 budget was presented to council and calls for total staff costs of $284,082, up from $242,886 in 2021.
The budget calls for total revenue of $342,391 compared with $324,883 last year. It projects the local appropriation from the town of $228,978, compared with $211,849 in 2021.
“We fund the library board so we always like to hear about all their successes and the programs that they run and the positive things they do,” mayor Rhonda Hunter said following the delegation.
“We are happy to welcome them back. The Libraries Act mandates that library boards must present their proposed budget for the coming year to councils every year.”
Council accepted the delegation presentation as information.
