Provincial Library Grants Report 2013
Introduction
About the Library
The Terrace Public Library provides public library services to residents of: the City of Terrace; portions of the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine; and, the First Nations communities of Nisga’a, Kitselasand Kitsumkalum.The library serves a population of just over 20,000 people. We seek to offer programs and services for patrons of all ages that: entertain and inspire; celebrate our diverse cultures, communities and people; and, support lifelong learning, reading and enjoyment.
In 2010, the Library Board created a strategic plan. The plan has three strategic priorities; space utilization, technology and fundraising. Work on completing the goals and objectives of the plan have been very successful. Highlights include: renovating the library’s meeting room; designing an adult lounge; purchasing e-readers to loan to patrons; and, raising funds to support strategic priorities and initiatives.The Library Board will be creating a new strategic plan in the spring of 2014.
About the Community
Terrace is the retail and service hub for Northwestern British Columbia. Residents from surrounding communities and villages visit Terrace to shop and access services not available in their own communities. The library’s service area includes two Tsimshian communities (Kitselas and Kitsumkalum) and the Nisga’a.
Current Challenges
Technology Our library’s efforts to maintain and improve technology are significantly limited by staff resources and expertise. In 2013, we updated an existing position to include digital services and information technology duties; this has had positive results but there is still significant room for improvement. Our library intends to create a five-year technology plan in 2014. The plan will guide and direct technology maintenance, improvement, and services. It will help to ensure that we can meet the technological needs and expectations of our community.
Our remote location continues to significantly limit the participation of library staffs and board in; library-specific training, participation in library organizations, and networking beyond our federation boundaries. The cost of travel and accommodations is a barrier that makes active participation unfeasible in most circumstances. Technology and occasional travel subsidies haveimproved the situation a little bit. Additional financial support/subsidies for travel would greatly improve the situation.
Government Priorities
Government Priority 1: Equitable Access
Goal Accomplishments
The library does not have this as a goal in its strategic plan.
Programs, Services
First Nations Communities: The library adopts a pro-active approach to ensure that First Nations communities continue to have access to public library services.
- Residents of Kitselas andKitsumkalumcontinue to receive no cost access to public library services.
- The librarycontinues to work on building a partnershipwith the Nisga’a Lisims Government; residents and Nisga’a members received library services in 2013 through a partnership with Laxgalts’ap Village Government.
- The library routinely provides programs and services to First Nations community groups including Kermode Aboriginal Head Start, Kitwanga Day Care, Gitanyow School, and the Kermode Friendship Society.
- Library staffs travel to Nisga’a territories annually to: participate in local festivities and celebrations; engage with community members of all ages; and, share books and encourage reading and literacy.
Free Internet Access and Computer Literacy Support: The library continues to provide no-charge Internet access; this helps to ensure that all community members can participate in the digital world. Anecdotally, patrons using this service are typicallylow-income individuals/families, First Nations youth and adults, and visitors from out of town. The library continues to assist to patrons who are in need of computer literacy support through our one-on-one computer literacy sessions; this helps to ensure that community members have the necessary skills to participate in our digital world.
Outreach:
- The library maintains a strategic approach to outreach services; with limited staff, we select outreach opportunities carefully to maximize our impact. Library staffs attend community events that attract large crowds of community members including many from under-represented groups and First Nations communities.
- We maintain satellite libraries in a number of places throughout the community. Satellite libraries provide gently used library materials that patrons may take away and enjoy. Clients are primarily from under-represented groups within the library’s service area including: low-income families and individuals; homeless individuals and families; marginalized women and children; and First Nations individuals and families.Volunteers also maintain a book program at the local hospital; persons in hospital are invited to take a book from our book cart or book shelf, enjoy, and then discard (for health reasons).
- Our Readers’ Home Services program ensures that community members who are unable to visit the library for medical reasons have access the library’s resources. Library staffs and volunteers regularly deliver materials to patrons registered in this program.
Key Partnerships
Laxgalts’ap Village Government
Laxgalts’ap funded the library’s 2013 service agreement for services to residents in the Nass Valley and Nisga’a members. Without this agreement, service to residents of the Nass Valley, including numerous First Nations individuals and families, may have been discontinued.
Volunteer Terrace
Our Readers’ Home Services and Satellite Libraries programs rely on the assistance and support of our dedicated volunteers. Volunteer Terrace pre-screens volunteers and matches suitable individuals with the library.
Industry Canada
Industry Canada provides funding to hire a Youth Intern whoprovides digital literacy support to members of our community. Our library would be unable to offer this service without this partnership. The library is the only place in the community that offers no-fee computer literacy support to the general public.
Terrace Churches Food Bank, All Nations Centre, Women’s Emergency Shelter, Mills Memorial Hospital, Terrace and District Community Services
These are some of the organizations that the library partners with to provide satellite library services. Without their support, the library would be unable to extend its walls to under-represented library user groups.
Government Priority 2: Supports for Education Transformation
Goal Accomplishments
The library does not have this as a goal in its strategic plan.
Programs, Services
Early Literacy Programs: Our library is the place to go in our community for pre and early literacy programs. Early literacy programs are provided for children aged birth to six. They incorporate key pre-literacy components including phonological awareness, vocabulary, print conventions, and letter knowledge.
Special Events: The library routinely attends special events for children and families;the Early Years Fair is one example. Planning and preparing for these events requires a great deal of time and effort. Library staffs engage with large crowds, however, so it is well worth it.
Wee Readers: Formerly known as Books for Babies, our Wee Readers program encourages early literacy development in our youngest members by providing information and materials. A child-sized book bag complete with music CD, coupon for a free board book, information about library programs and services, and information about early literacy is our library’s gift to each baby born in our community.
Step by Step, Books to Grow On: This new program is an extension of our Wee Readers program. Children receive a brand new book for his/her home library when they turn one; they are also invited to sign up for a library card and join the library’s Step by Step program. Once in the program, the child receives a brightly coloured punch card. Each time the child visits the library he/she receives a punch in the card(between 5 and 10punches a year depending on the child’s age). When all the punches are filled up, s/he receives another brand new book. Each child in our community is eligible to receive one new book every year until age six.
Early Reader leveling system: Our new leveling system is a modified version of the Fountas and Pinnell system which is widely used by elementary schools across Canada and the United States.Parents and caregivers are now better able to support their child’s individual learning needs with respect to learning to read.
Collections: Our collections provide significant support in the area of reading for early learners. We offer excellent collection of board books, picture books (both fiction and non-fiction), and early readers.
Key Partnerships
Success by Six and the United Way
Provided funding for our Wee Readers and Step by Step programs.
Coast Mountain School District
Primary teacher from the school district worked with library staffs to: design and develop the leveling system; select early readers for purchase; and, level the initial batch of readers.
Northern Health
Public health nurses distribute our Wee Readers bags, maximizing the number of new community members this program reaches.
Government Priority 3: Library Collaboration and Cooperation
Goal Accomplishments
The library does not have this as a goal in its strategic plan.
Programs, Services
Direct Patron Requests: Our library continues to collaborate with the North Coast Library Federation to offer direct patron requests.The project has been very successful. It is easier for our patrons to request items and our library saves money on postage.
NCLF mailing system: Our library partners with Northwest Community College and the North Coast Library Federation to provide an inter-library mailing system between federation libraries. This is a great cost savings for all of the libraries involved because the federation financially supports this initiative. It also provides much support for the Interlibrary Connect program.
Federation book club sets: Our library continues to support and utilize this excellent service. Our in-house book club benefits immensely from this service. It is wonderful to be able to offer newer titles as options for our book club.This year, a library staff member also assisted on a committee to select titles.
Local Art: Our library is located in a shared facility with the Terrace Art Gallery. The library occupies the upper portion of the building and the gallery the lower. We have partnered with the gallery to brighten the library walls by displaying rotating collections of art created by local artist. We currently have two feature walls in place.
Drop Everything and Read: We partnered with several schools in the area and with Friends of the Library to hold a Drop Everything and Read contest. Six hundred and fifteen students participated in the program. They read a combined total of 12,300 minutes.
Feature Films at Northwest Community College: Every month the library lends the college approximately 50 feature film DVDs. They are circulated at the college library primarily to students living in dorms. The college is located a significant distance from downtown and there are no amenities there. Students appreciate having access to feature films to watch on the weekend or while taking a break from their studies.
NorthWords: This program offers aspiring writers, illustrators, and those who enjoy writing and drawing an opportunity to come together, share their experiences and learn from guest speakers and each other. By partnering with other community groups including Terrace and District Arts Council, Misty River Books, Northwest Community College and Skeena Diversity, we were able to provide a free week long workshop for children:The art of Words and an adult retreat: Embrace the Diverse. This year we had 36 writing participants and 6 theatre participants. We have had many requests for other writing events and have been able to increase our participation at author readings by including a writing component.
High School visits: We are excited to be creating a new collaboration with the local high school. An English teacher was looking for support to help her students with their independent novel studies because students were unable to find books at their school library that were of interest to them. Our library was looking to foster greater participation by teens. 53 students in grade 10 came to the library for an hour presentation on current popular young adult books. Many of these students renewed expired cards and signed books out to read. The teacher reported that the visit “was hands down the best thing that she has done for her students this year”. We look forward to future collaborations.
University of Northern British Columbia Teaching Program: By collaborating with UNBC , we have been able to provide valuable information to students in the teaching program. This year the class came to discuss materials and strategies for working with children in Kindergarten to grade 3. This hands-on class gave those in the teaching program a chance to explore resources that they will need to complete their degree as well as an introduction to services that we provide to teachers in our district.
Key Partnerships
North Coast Library Federation
The federation provides financial support for the inter-library mailing system and serves as a mechanism for collaboration on the Interlibrary Connect, book club sets, and other programs and services.
Northwest Community College
Provides the North Coast Library Federation with a low-cost inter library mailing solution.
Primary partner for as NorthWords.
Terrace Art Gallery
Brighten the walls of the library by displaying rotating collections of local art. Donated space NorthWords.
Terrace and District Arts Council
Provided funding for NorthWords.
Friends of the Library
Providedprizes for Drop Everything and Read contest.
Misty River Books
Provided prizes and staff support for NorthWords.
Skeena Diversity
Providedanart instruction facilitator for NorthWords.
University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC)
The library and UNBC worked together to educate students in the teaching program, sharing resources and collaborative planning.
School District 82
Sharing resources and collaborative planning for families, children and youth including PALS (Parents as literacy supporters) programs, high-school English classes, themed teacher packages for all grades,Ready Set Learn, and Drop Everything and Read.