The Moose Jaw Public Library is looking to the future and the new ways it can contribute to the education and well-being of the community.
To that end, the library intends to focus on three areas in 2020 to help build up the community: the library as a space, lifelong learning, and organizational effectiveness, head librarian Gwen Fisher explained to city council during a special budget meeting on Nov. 18.
The police service, the library and 13 other third-party groups made presentations about why council should continue to fund their organizations. Council later voted to send the proposed budgets to a future meeting for further discussion.
The Moose Jaw Public Library is asking for $1,192,223 from city council, which represents an increase of 0.16 per cent over this year.
In 2019 work was completed to ensure the safety of the location by creating an emergency response plan, reviewing emergency procedures and creating rules of conduct in the building, Fisher said.
Next year the focus will be to make the space more welcoming by reviewing and planning budgeted and cost-effective improvements to the Children’s Library. The library will also begin an assessment of the rental spaces in the building and investigate improvements to enhance the experience of the space. Much of the equipment was purchased in 1992 and will be replaced in the coming years.
“We believe the library is and continues to be a gem in the community and we are asking questions about how the space might need to be adjusted or evolve to meet future needs of stakeholders,” she continued. “We’re asking questions about what inspires people about libraries and trying to reinvigorate the foundation of our service.”
As part of the focus on lifelong learning, the library would prioritize the development of technology related to learning opportunities, including greater access to Maker equipment, Fisher said. The goal is to have a 3D printer operational by next spring, while other STEAM — science, technology, engineering, arts and math — opportunities would encourage more 21st-century learning.
The library already offers kids the chance to use robots, while classes are offered to adults to help them use smartphones and tablets.
Lastly, the library board would complete a strategic planning cycle by taking into consideration the results from the library’s community needs assessment and the municipality’s own strategic plan, Fisher said. Actions to improve organizational effectiveness would be implemented under the direction of the board.
Fisher also talked about a new service the library will soon offer and reviewed some of the highlights from the past year.
Patrons can look forward to the launch on Dec. 9 of Kanopy, a new on-demand video streaming platform that offers films, documentaries and kids’ programs. It will be accessible inside and outside of the library. Videos can be screened in the building, while patrons can organize their own viewing parties in the community.
Attendance of adult programming this year increased by 36 per cent, with more services offered such as role-playing games, language conversation classes and several open houses in the archives.
The kids’ program was busy this year, but noticeably so in the summer, said Fisher. When construction began near the building, library officials asked the engineering department to speak to the students about the nearby project. The kids were able to put on hard hats and engineering uniforms, while they also viewed old and new pipes.
“It was a resounding success,” she said, adding overall, more than 2,600 youths attended 84 programs, making this time one of the busiest and most successful summers in years.
