Libraries find ways to stay in the public’s good books
RPL continues to adapt to the times as popular service marks its 100th birthday
As Biblio Files: A History of the Regina Public Library — the first book of its kind — hits shelves this weekend, library lovers are reflecting on the challenges and the successes the RPL has had over the last 100 years.
One of those more recent challenges has been the $4.8 million cut made to library services in the 2017-18 provincial budget in March, which left Saskatchewan reeling.
Instead of accepting the loss, communities rallied — putting pressure on the government — and a month later the funding was restored, proof that the province still cared about and relied deeply on the services Saskatchewan libraries had to offer.
“There’s still a lot of people using them as a physical space as well as the online services,” said Susan Birley, the lead author and editor of Biblio Files. “I think they’ve done a good job of maintaining their connection to the community.”
But funding will always be an issue, especially when the demand for library services continues to grow as much as deputy library director Julie McKenna says it is.
“Our use is increasing. The demand and expectation at the public library is increasing and that’s a good news story for us. Having said that, there are capacity challenges around that,” said McKenna.
She said with a growing demand for programming, electronic services and digital collections coupled with steady demand for print collections, it’s difficult to stretch funding along with it, with some branches experiencing full capacity and wait lists.
Over the past five years, library use has increased 13 per cent and in 2016 the library had 1.5 million visits with the use of online and digital resources equal to or greater than that number.
McKenna said the library is currently in the process of laying out its 2018 budget, which will determine what mill rate is requested. Property taxes — determined by the mill rate — is the RPL’s main source of funding for their operating costs.
One way the RPL is getting around a limited budget is creating more flexible spaces, especially in their program rooms.
“We have garage doors that cause them to open up so that they can be used for other purposes when the program isn’t occurring in the room,” said McKenna.
Shelving units and furniture now have wheels so they can be rearranged to create more space when needed.
“The whole purpose of libraries is to maintain that community connection and be relevant — providing information, providing access to books and all this other material,” said Birley.
And contrary to the myth that everyone has a computer and access to the internet, McKenna said physical space to access online resources is still very much needed in our community.
But getting creative in order to provide better access to the public is nothing new for the RPL.
From 1954 to 1991 the RPL had book trailers, a sort of mobile library and something Margaret Bessai remembers fondly.
Bessai was born in 1968 and grew up in Hillsdale, a new suburb at the time.
“There was not a lot of art and culture that you could walk to,” said Bessai. “So for me, the book trailer coming to my schoolyard every Friday after school was amazing because then you get access to all these other books and at the time the book trailers also stocked cassette tapes and records.”
Bessai was asked to share her story in the new history book as a contributor in the community voices section, something she was honoured to do.
Though funding remains an ongoing challenge for RPL and other Saskatchewan libraries, the growing demand of its programs and services after 100 years is a testament to their continued relevance and importance.
The demand and expectation at the public library is increasing and that’s a good news story for us.