Olds Municipal Library (OML) has won a 2017 Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Library Service.
The award, presented during the Alberta Library Conference in Jasper April 28, goes to public libraries that have set up innovative programs, services or technologies. The goal is to share those ideas across the province.
OML won for its Cyber Seniors program.
Cyber Seniors started as a high school project in the United States in 2009 and was brought to Olds as a partnership with Olds Institute through Olds Connected Communities as well as Olds High School and the library.
The program aims to help seniors who are feeling isolated find a way to connect to the world around them with technology. High school students are also a key part of the program, sharing their expertise and enthusiasm with seniors and often forging lasting friendships.
More than 65 youth and seniors are participating and a further 20 individuals will be graduating from the program later this month.
Interested seniors can start registering now for the fall session. Once high school is underway, seniors will be matched with trained students to complete the roughly 20 hours of material.
OML is proud of the commitment of its volunteers, students and staff in making this initiative successful in the community.
ìWe are extremely proud of the team that worked on bringing Cyber Seniors to our community,ì says Olds Municipal Library manager Lesley Winfield.
ìOur partnerships with the Olds High School and Olds Institute were extremely valuable in providing an award-winning program.î
Further information is available at the Olds Municipal Library website, www.oml.prl.ab.ca or by phone at 403-556-6460.
Also, if you want to see the award, you're welcome to visit the library.
- Nischuk is the Olds Municipal Library's marketing coordinator.
"Our partnerships with the Olds High School and Olds Institute were extremely valuable in providing an award-winning program."LESLEY WINFIELD MANAGER OLDS MUNICIPAL LIBRARY
