September is Library Card Sign-up Month, and Sundre as well as surrounding area residents are reminded they can sign up for a membership free of charge.
The goal is to eliminate any barriers — including financial — that might be preventing people from accessing the library’s materials and services, said Jamie Syer, manager.
“Regardless of their circumstances, the library is here for them,” he said, adding a goal is to ensure no one who needs to use the library is left behind.
As part of the sign-up month, Sundre’s Grade 5 students each receive a membership card as well as a tour of the library to help instill early on an interest in habitually visiting the library, he said.
According to a press release issued by Parkland Regional Library, which Sundre’s library is a part of, students throughout the region can turn to their public library for homework help, reading support, and programs that include science, technology, engineering and arts.
“Studies indicate that children who read — or are read to — at home and who use the library perform better in school,” the release reads.
“Today’s libraries aren’t only a place for study. They are creative and engaging community centres where people can try out new technologies, attend programs, or share activities with friends.”
Memberships allow a holder of any age to gain access to a wide repertoire of resources and services far above and beyond traditional books. That includes but certainly is not limited to a large collection of DVD movies as well as online material such as digital books, magazines and newspapers. The library also caters to people who wish to read but struggle with visual impairments by providing audio books and easy-to-use devices they can take home, said Syer.
Additionally, membership also grants access to online language learning opportunities as well as researching resources to help organizations find grants, he said.
“The more you explore what the library has to offer, the more you discover what’s of interest to you,” he said, adding the wealth of resources at the library caters to a variety of demographics.
“All of this is absolutely free with your library card.”
Tying in with sign-up month and also helping to emphasize what’s offered at the Sundre Municipal Library is International Literacy Day, which was observed on Saturday, Sept. 8, he said.
Literacy encompasses far more than the ability to read words, and also entails digital, social, health, and financial literacy, he said.
The Sundre library strives to evolve and adapt with emerging trends, and is now in the process of establishing a maker space as well as setting up a 3D printer that will become more visible this fall, he said.
“This is another creative aspect of the library that folks might not yet be aware of.”
