GRASSROOTS: Merry Christmas from Sheep River Library

(Grassroots: Page 7)

The year 2010 will be on record as one of deep analysis of services past, present and future for the Sheep River Library. Community awareness and participation has certainly risen through the many open houses, community discussions, planning sessions, building meetings and fund raising initiatives that have been part of the last twelve months.
Use of library services has increased not only through the circulation of regular reading materials, but through the other collections such as DVD's, books on tape, large print materials, magazines and special collections. The interlibrary loans have increased tremendously as patrons have become more comfortable with ordering books online from their homes. More recently, the library has seen an amazing increase in the number of ebooks that patrons are downloading onto their personal electronic readers. Computer usage and video conferencing utilization has also increased.
The amazing participation in classes, workshops and special events indicate that positioning the library as a 'community centre of lifelong learning' was a realistic goal of the initiators of the 2006 business plan. Beyond book borrowing, well over a thousand people have participated in over 100 lifelong learning sessions this year.
Community support and volunteer participation is the basis for such a successful year. The staff of four fabulous individuals (one full time and three part time) has kept the day to day operations efficiently moving smoothly. They have been supported by an amazing team of volunteers who undertake a proliferation of tasks. Shelf reading and shelving books are a constant time consuming responsibility taken on daily by a large team of people. Others work in the background doing phoning, distributing posters and delivering books to the lodge. Others handle special events such as parade day, Art in the Park, and the Christmas event. Others voluntarily teach classes on a variety of subjects and have even shared their talent by presenting through video conferencing. Artists have volunteered to set up art displays and musicians have volunteered their talent at special events in the library. Another group that is seldom seen but who work many many hours are the members of the board who look after policy implementation, personnel issues, finances and program leadership.
Partnership with many organizations and groups has also enhanced the service level of Sheep River Library. Some of the groups and organizations that have made our year so successful are: Literacy for Life, Parent Link, High Country Lodge, Boys and Girls Club, Beneath the Arch, Lions Campground Group, Turner Valley Elementary, C. Ian McLaren School, Foothills Continuing Education, Sheep Creek Artisans, Sustainable Resources Development, Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation, SRD – Fish and Wildlife, the Alberta Multiple Species at Risk Program, the Wind River Bear Institute, Community Futures Self Employment, McBride Career Group, Full Circle Adventures, Pheasants Forever, Alberta Wilderness Association, Alberta Cowboy Poetry Association and the Writers Guild of Alberta.
The Friends of the Sheep River Library have spent hours planning and implementing fundraising strategies to help raise the needed money to purchase furnishings for the new library. This tiny but mighty group have put on special fundraising events as well as instigated the Tiles for Smiles project. A large section of wall near the children's area will display the handiwork of community minded individuals and groups who donated $50 per tile in support of raising money for the library…then spent time designing and painting each mini masterpiece. Oodles of grant application forms were submitted by this group and the results will be displayed prominently on the honour wall in the new library.
This year, a team of skilled building professionals have become a huge part of the library community. Under the construction management of Candor Properties (Ken, Thomas and Todd), Norr Architects, Blue Rock's General Contractor skills and the Town of Turner Valley, an amazing facility has arisen that will answer the needs of library and community services for many years to come.  Hours of consultation with library staff and board have resulted in detailed attention being given to service and circulation needs as outlined in Alberta Governments Services Guidelines as well as articulated community needs. As the building approaches it's final stages (walls are being painted and landscaping almost done) and as people peek in the front windows, excitement is rising. The new Sheep River Library will be a structure that we can all be proud of.
Thank you one and all for your support of Sheep River Library.  Have a great Christmas holiday.