During an Olds council meeting, library manager Lesley Sackett Winfield gave an overview of the happenings around the Olds Municipal Library and what its plans are moving forward.
The library serves the municipal population of 9,184 and a country population of 3,218 for a total of 12,402 people served. The population numbers don’t include people served who use the library from other communities.
The library had just shy of 68,000 visitors in 2017 which is seven per cent more than in 2016.
In 2017, the library saw over 30,000 physical books borrowed and over 5,000 digital books borrowed.
The library shares books and other property with other libraries provincewide and shared 33,309 in 2017.
The library also offers the use of technology such as iPads and computers and there were approximately 12,404 computer sessions in 2017.
Ebooks and other online materials saw a small increase of two per cent in 2017 with 4,803 materials being circulated.
Winfield detailed to council what the library plans to do in the coming years.
One of the plans highlighted was inspiring reading at a young age, and they intend to do this in many ways such as giving parents access to programs, materials, services and experiences to help build and develop early literacy skills in their children.
The library intends by 2022 to have a 30 per cent increase in the number of parents who attend programs to help with literacy.
Within the same time frame, the library hopes to see a 10 per cent rise in the number of available materials for parents.
Eventually the library wants to host at least three programs each year for parents and caregivers to support one another.
The other topics hit on were to satisfy curiosity and to celebrate diversity.
In order to satisfy curiosity, resources will be supplied to residents to explore topics of personal interest and continue learning throughout their lives.
By 2022 it is hoped to see a 10 per cent increase in number of programs utilizing the different resources in the library as well as an increase in youth attending programs and programs utilizing technology for youth.
The library also wants to provide programs and services that promote appreciation and understanding of users' own unique diversity and the diversity of others.
