INNISFAIL – Town council has been briefed on the Innisfail Public Library’s draft five-year Plan of Service (POS); a required document designed to put extra focus on inclusiveness to align with the institution’s mission statement of being a welcoming community gathering place.
“The goal is to reduce physical and social barriers for those seeking access to learning and literacy services through the library,” said library manager Amy Ramsay during her presentation to town council on Nov. 6.
She added a key objective to this service priority is to ensure all residents, including vulnerable and underserved members of the community, will have a safe and welcoming space.
During her comprehensive draft POS outline to council, Ramsey added community, and curiosity and learning were the other service priorities.
The POS is a legal requirement that library boards across Alberta must complete for effective management of public library service. This includes a mission statement and goals and objectives that are based on a community needs assessment.
Ramsay said the draft POS for the five-year period of 2024 – 2028 will “likely” be approved by the Town of Innisfail Library Board at its next meeting on Nov. 28. The goal is to have the new POS implemented on Jan. 1.
Pauline Wigg, the library’s board chair who joined Ramsey at council, noted the last POS was completed in 2019.
“It was very similar in terms of (library) being a community hub and living room. There's a lot of similarities between it,” said Wigg. “I think this plan is more focused on inclusiveness and trying to have new people in the community feel more comfortable in our library.”
Before council was presented with the new draft POS outline Wigg advised council there were maintenance issues occurring on the library side of the Innisfail Library/Learning Centre that was officially opened on Jan. 23, 2012 at a cost of $8 million.
“We are 11 years old, and we're looking a little tired on the inside,” Wigg told council. “We're probably going to need a paint job, so we'll be coming back maybe asking for some help with that.”
Ramsay later offered council additional details of the maintenance issues.
She said the wheelchair accessible washroom “is not accessible” and there is no button to get in or out.
Ramsay told council the library’s glass doors are off track and gradually becoming more unsafe and difficult to “lock functionally.”
Council was told the library’s work, staff and meeting rooms, as well as its office, need a paint touch-up.
Ramsay added more hours need to be considered for the library’s custodian to be able to do a more thorough job.
She also asked council if the library’s use of the building’s Community Room could be increased from three times a year to four to run quarterly community events.
“We always use it for Family Literacy Day. We use it for something to do with our Summer Reading Club wind-up, and then we do a Christmas party,” Ramsay told council. “But it's such a beautiful space that when we're in the library and look over we can see it sitting there vacant a lot of time.
“We just think about all the wonderful things that we can do as a library in that space.”
Following Ramsay’s presentation, mayor Jean Barclay, whose council is going into budget deliberations this month, asked Ramsay if the library had ever gone to Red Deer County for needed support, noting the town is now receiving financial support from the county for residents' use of Innisfail’s library.
In December of 2012, town council was told by administration that under a new three-year agreement the town would be receiving an annual payment of $10,980 for library services to county residents.
Ramsay and Wigg later told the Albertan they would explore the opportunity to make a formal presentation to Red Deer County council about the services the library offers to county residents.
