The Olds Municipal Library is celebrating 55 years in Olds and four years in its revitalized facility.
As it does so, the library will be officially launching the Glenn McCracken MakerSpace next Wednesday, Nov. 12. During the day, you can get a tour of the new experiential room, try out some fun new technologies and have some treats.
Over the past 55 years, the Olds library has provided a myriad of programming to help people explore their curiosity, stimulate their imagination and create young readers.
Library services have evolved and changed during those 55 years. The MakerSpace, also sponsored by the Olds Institute for Community and Regional Development, is the newest addition to library services.
With a 3D printer and scanner, drawing tablet, iMac, Xbox One, iPads and Android tablets, the experiential room gives residents in Olds the opportunity to satisfy their curiosity and express their creativity in a number of innovative ways.
Whether you're printing your design on the 3D printer or connecting with friends through Skype on the Xbox, there is truly something for everyone in this room.
Additionally, the library still offers traditional library service to its more than 60,000 visitors each year. Collections have increased to include DVDs, music, and even equipment such as power saving monitors, eReaders and telescopes.
The Internet allows libraries around the world to find new ways of serving their visitors. The Olds library offers free Internet services to community members. Connecting to the world, applying for jobs, and learning online have never been easier.
Likewise, with more than 22,000 computer sessions a year, the Olds library has helped bridge the “digital divide.”
People who may not be able to afford a computer or simply want more social experiences can meet and connect to the online world in the Tech Zone -- all without a library card.
October was Library Month. Along with the rest of the libraries in the Parkland Regional Library system, Olds residents saw the launch of some fantastic new services.
The 3M cloud library made eBooks even more accessible. Hoopla brought streaming video, audiobooks and music to households in the community and Zinio allowed people to check out their favourite magazines virtually.
Also, new partnerships this year have allowed the library to offer film nights with the Mountain View Film Group.
Technology classes are offered in a variety of areas, partly because of their partnerships with the Olds Connected Communities and the RISE Video Conferencing Network.
Plus, a variety of new programming to create young readers has set the library abuzz with excitement on a regular basis.
Library service has evolved, and residents can access a variety of materials in many ways to stimulate their imagination. However, the same passion for literacy remains as strong as it was when the first library in Olds was born in 1959.
- Submitted to the Albertan courtesy of Olds Municipal Library manager Lesley Winfield.
