The library is a centuries-old institution that has undergone radical change in recent years. Currently, people in Olds can have their say in what should become of it.“The role of libraries has changed a lot in the last – I've been here 10 years – and even in the last 10 years it's changed a lot. And it was changing before then,” said Lesley Winfield, library manager of the Olds and District Municipal Library.“I think a lot of people still think that you go to the library and you just pick out books and you go home and that's it and we're all about books. But we have so much more to offer here.”The library in town is currently accepting public feedback to shape its strategic plan, which sets the framework for the library's budget and goals for the next three years, Winfield said.Members of the public are being asked to fill out an online survey, detailing what the Town of Olds needs to make it a better place to live.It's a broad question and Winfield said respondents have suggested everything from walking paths to dog parks in the past.Out of those perceived needs, management decides which the library can address, she said.The process is used to determine library priorities and if cuts are ever needed, the resulting data shows what the community could live without, she said.Over time, the library has become more “dynamic,” as Winfield describes it – evolving from a repository of books to a place that offers various resources, from literacy programs to tech camps.Changing technology has meant that readers are increasingly consuming information electronically and the library has adapted by providing e-books and lending e-readers, in addition to the computers on site.These resources libraries provide level the playing field for those who cannot afford access to the technology people take for granted.“There (are) some people that still think that, especially in our affluent society … that it's impossible to imagine for them that people don't have their own computer or don't have their own Internet access or can't afford that for some reason,” Winfield said.Last year, she said the library logged 20,000 sessions on its computers.“And that is pretty staggering when you think of the easy access of technology nowadays. So it is the great equalizer,” she said.However, some people still need help using the tools at their disposal and that's where a librarian comes in handy.“Whether that be navigating to a book or finding the right website or finding an e-book or something like that, that's the role of the librarian. To be that map reader to help people find what they are looking for,” Winfield said.As a physical space, the library also serves as a community hub, strategically located near the Olds and District Evergreen Centre, Mount View Lodge and a number of schools in the area, she continued.For example, the library has been used as a site for mediation since people don't like meeting in law offices, she said.So far, not enough data has been collected to tell what people think the library's function should be, Winfield said.Because of that, she's encouraging people to chime in.“We would really like people to participate with us in the strategic planning process because we can't do it without knowing what they think. So a lot of times the survey comes and you're like, they don't need my opinion. Even if you're not a library user, we want your opinion because we want to know why you're not a library user,” she said.“Or maybe you don't realize what we offer. So we definitely want people that don't have a library card to answer our survey and tell us what their priorities are as well so that we can serve their needs better.”[email protected]
