Gusting winds and hazy conditions could not stop children from enjoying the bouncy castle, savouring a cold refreshment, and engaging in crafts July 3 as the Palliser Regional Library celebrated its 50th anniversary.
The event took place at the parking lot of the Palliser Regional Library Head Office on 366 Coteau Street West.
“Today is our 50th anniversary. Palliser Regional Library first became a thing and opened on July 3, 1973 — 50 years to the day. And we thought it was worth celebrating, so we created an event,” said Arwen Rudolph, director of the Palliser Regional Library.
Attendance hasn’t been tallied, but according to the cupcake count, “We had 300 cupcakes and now (one hour in) there are 100 gone.” Anniversary cupcakes were provided free of charge at the event.
It’s estimated that at least 200 to 300 people attended between the hours of 1 – 4 p.m.
“There’s lots of people that showed up, despite the very windy weather. I think it’s going really well,” said Rudolph, noting that attendance was higher than expected.
The event had an inflatable bouncy castle for the kids, and vendors included Kona Ice and The Cone Artist.
“And then it’s just us. It’s the Moose Jaw Public Library and the Palliser Regional Library. We’ve got crafts; we’re making buttons; we’re selling T-shirts and totes and giving away stickers and other things.”
The building itself is not a public library where people can come to borrow books but is a service centre supporting the various libraries across Palliser.
“It’s great to see everyone here (at the head office). A lot of people are always wandering in, asking if this is a public library. They’re not really sure what we are. It’s good to get people out and get more information on what a regional library does.
“We order, purchase, catalogue, and process all the books and materials, so these all go through here.”
As part of the Saskatchewan Information Library Service Consortium, library patrons from any public library in the province can borrow from any other provincial public library. Palliser is just one of the regions involved in this consortium.
“Palliser Regional Library has 20 branches, and Moose Jaw Public Library is one.”
The Palliser region celebrates its 50th anniversary today, but across the various branches, the celebration dates will differ. “Palliser Regional Library opened on July 3, but we slowly got a lot of the branches up after that,” explained Rudolph. The varying events will take place on the specific anniversary date for each branch location.
Two examples are Tugaske and Willowbunch. “Tugaske is having a fancy tea party. Willowbunch is having a ‘Party Like it's 1973’ barbecue, so everyone is expected to come out dressed like it’s the 70s.”
Details for other branches can be found at PalliserLibrary.ca.
Additional summer events are still planned for Moose Jaw.
“Later on — sometime in late summer or early fall — we would like to do a library trivia night. We’re still in the early stages of that,” said Rudolph. Details will be provided over the next few weeks.
One program that comes highly recommended is the Summer Reading Club.
The Summer Reading Club aims to help prevent students from falling into the “summer slide,” where they become disengaged with reading and learning outside of class. This is achieved free of charge and seeks to engage students with a fun approach to learning.
Digital services are also offered and include free online courses, access to global newspapers and magazines, automotive service manuals, and access to an ancestry database.
The event supported the goal of promoting awareness. “We would like to get more people engaged with reading, supporting the library, and just understanding what the library is.”
For a list of free programs offered by the Palliser Regional Library, visit PalliserLibrary.ca or stop by.
