Chinook Arch hands out annual READ awards

The Chinook Arch Regional Library System has named the winners of its annual READ awards.

The awards were created to recognize the important role that southwestern Alberta libraries service in their communities.

The awards are judged by the Chinook Arch marketing and communications committee ased on excellence in library service, collaboration, innovation, community benefit, and transferability to other libraries. This year’s awards were focused on the criteria of how libraries are attracting patrons back into their buildings.

• Magrath Public Library: Local Author Signing at Hometown Christmas

Every year, Magrath hosts a hometown Christmas event. It usually features family crafts and photo booth. In 2023, the library opted to add an author signing, featuring five local authors, only one of whom had prior signing experience. With author bios and marketing materials, the community was invited to buy books for Christmas presents and support local authors.

Over 400 attendees visited, delighting both authors and the community. The event successfully promoted literacy, supported local authors, and encouraged aspiring writers to prepare for future opportunities.

• Raymond Public Library & Archives: Young Entrepreneur Training and Tradeshow

In 2023, the Raymond Public Library and Archives secured funding from the one-time Public Library Grant for Skill Development in Rural Alberta, initiating the Young Entrepreneur Training and Tradeshow.

The community witnessed a surge in Kidpreneur markets, but lacked resources for young business owners. Partnering with the Raymond Chamber of Commerce, the library hosted eight sessions led by experienced business owners, attracting 191 participants. Following the workshops, a Tradeshow organized by the library and the Chamber of Commerce drew 241 attendees and featured 30 tables, including 19 businesses founded by workshop graduates.

This endeavor aimed to position the library as a hub for business education and support, bridging generations and fostering entrepreneurship.

“We were very honored to receive this READ award,” says Raymond Public Library manager, Faye Geddes. “It is a wonderful feeling knowing that our peers appreciate the work that we do. We plan to use the money that we won to help put on the Young Entrepreneur Training and Tradeshow again this year. Being recognized for this program helps us remind our partners that this program is worth sustaining.”

• Coaldale Public Library During the covid shutdown, Coaldale Library reached out to local day homes to see if they would be interested in online story times. Because of the overabundance of online programming during that time, it wasn’t something they were interested in. But a year later, when the time came for the library to open back up, one local daycare responded to the email and were interested in partnering. Since then, a wonderful relationship has developed.

Every two weeks, caregivers bring preschoolers to the library for tours, stories, and songs, eagerly anticipating what “Mr. Morgan” or “Ms. Kindra” will present.

Library staff reciprocate with monthly visits to the daycare, bringing puppets, stories, and songs, much to the children’s delight. This collaboration has not only fostered excitement for the library among daycare families but also facilitated community connections. The daycare’s support extends beyond library visits, as evidenced by their successful food drive during Christmas, doubling the library’s donations to the local Food Bank.

• Town of Fort Macleod Public Library: Pay it Forward Library Card Program

This program was inspired by a devoted patron of the Fort Macleod library, who expressed a desire to cover the cost of a library card for a family in need. After years of informal contributions, the library collaborated with a local FCSS Coordinator, securing funding for 10 library cards for community members facing financial challenges. The initiative evolved into the “Pay it Forward Library Card Program,” offering two types of cards: one for individual purchase and gifting, and another sponsored option with logo recognition.

The program has created positive impacts fostering community, kindness, and literacy.

• Granum Public Library: The Room of Requirement The Granum Library recently reorganized its space to create a versatile community room reminiscent of Hogwarts’ Room of Requirement. This dynamic space hosts diverse activities like art classes, Dungeons and Dragons nights, make-up classes, and community meetings. Local artwork adorns the walls, while the windows receive painted treatments.

Notably, a family regularly reserves the room for Saturday Dungeons and Dragons sessions to accommodate Grandma’s participation without disrupting her dining room table! Another patron occupies the space for day-long art projects, while the FCSS kids’ program convenes there monthly. Despite a small-town setting, this initiative fosters connectivity and creativity, positively impacting community perception and bolstering library engagement and growth.

“Entering a story for the READ awards was a wonderful opportunity to show our little community in action, and to allow others to see the joy and creativity experienced in the communal spaces of the library,” says Granum Public Library manager, Jennifer Fawcett.

• Taber Public Library: Block Party On a warm Wednesday afternoon in late May, the Taber Public Library hosted a vibrant outdoor neighborhood block party, joined by esteemed neighbors such as Family and Community Support Services, Kids Zone, Taber Food Bank, Horizon Victim Services, and Taber Police Services. Invitations were personally delivered to local businesses, schools, and community groups, with the town providing support in road closures, barriers, and waste disposal. The event featured 24 stations showcasing various local service providers and programs, including Shiner the horse from Feather Equine Services and the Gnarly Niblets Bicycle Club, promoting bike safety and trail riding. The Mayor estimated attendance reached 150 individuals. Food trucks and a bouncy castle, provided by a new local business, added to the festivities, while the Youth Do Crew volunteered their assistance. The well-attended gathering fostered community engagement and partnership.

“I think winning this award and receiving recognition provides information to the public of how and what the library is doing besides handing out books and movies,” says Taber Public Library program coordinator, Dawn Kondas. “We are moving towards being a central space in the community that is for everyone.”