Provincial Library Grants Report
Grand forks & district public library
Introduction
The Library - The Grand Forks & District Public Library is located in the heart of the Kootenay Boundary region. Serving the communities of the City of Grand Forks, Christina Lake (Area C), and Area D, our library is an important community hub for a population of approximately 9000 people. Our population is a bit older than in other British Columbia communities, with many choosing Grand Forks and the surrounding area as a place to retire. Although it can be a quiet place during the winter, warmer months find our area bustling with tourists coming to enjoy the unparalleled beauty of the sunshine and our stunning lakes, rivers, and mountains. Industry in our area includes logging, agriculture, and some manufacturing. There is something for everyone in Grand Forks and the surrounding area, and at the Grand Forks & District Public Library we strive to provide excellent service to all demographics of our community. It is an exciting time for our library as we are about to embark on our new 2016-2020 Strategic Plan.
Access - The Grand Forks & District Public Library is open five days a week all year for an average of 46 hours per week.
Circulation – 84,000 items (in 2015)
Resource sharing – 1,950 sent, 2,432 received
Programming - 498 programs to 4,977 participants
Government Priorities, Goals, Programs and Services, Partnerships
a focus on Equitable access
Library Goal that supports the priority:
From the incoming Strategic Plan: “We will respond to the community’s request to open for additional days and/or hours. If funding allows, we seek to open for 4 hours on Sundays in 2017, to open for 7 hours on Sundays in 2019, and to explore opening on Mondays at the end of this plan.”
Programs and/or Services that aligns with the priority:
This goal is in progress. A community survey undertaken in late 2015 showed an incredible need for our library to be open for additional days and hours. We will be working with our major funding body, the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB), to secure funding to make this achievement possible.
Partnerships that support the priority:
This goal primarily relies on additional funding from the RDKB.
Outcomes that were identified:
We expect that if we can implement the additional hours that the change should be tangible almost immediately. Most public places in Grand Forks are closed on Sundays, and many are also closed on Mondays. If we are able to open for additional hours on those days, we expect the library to be an important place of respite for our community members who may not have other places to go during the days on Sundays and Mondays. Opening for additional hours also allows us to provide library building access to those who have other commitments during our current opening hours.
Increased Supports for Education and Transformation
Library Goal that supports the priority:
From the incoming Strategic Plan: We will support 21st Century learning by promoting technological skills and digital literacy for learners of all ages.
Programs and/or Services that aligns with the priority:
There are a number of programs and services that support this goal. Every Tuesday afternoon, there is a drop-in session where members of the public can get help with their computer questions and have one-on-one conversations about their specific technology needs. Our staff frequently answers questions to help patrons access eBooks and other online materials offered by our library. Also, at the end of 2015, we agreed to subscribe to Pronunciator, an online resource to provide language learning courses to library card holders.
Partnerships that support the priority:
Our drop-in computer help is offered in partnership with the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy (CBAL), who provide laptops and facilitate the lesson in our library’s meeting and programming room.
Outcomes that were identified:
Thanks in part to our instruction to patrons on using the resources, our Library2Go use saw a 7% increase this year.
Methods to measure other outcomes for our technology programs have not yet been implemented.
Support for the BC jobs Plan by improving outcomes for job seekers in bc
Library Goal that supports the priority:
From the incoming Strategic Plan: “We will strive to ensure that all segments of our communities receive opportunities to access our services.”
Programs and/or Services that aligns with the priority:
It is free to use our computers and/or internet even without a library card. This allows job seekers to use these resources in their job searching. We also offer access to Microsoft Word, where people can create resumes and cover letters, and our printing is only 25 cents per page, which people frequently use to print job searching documents. Further, our website has a “Business & Careers” section which offers a number of links to help people in their job searches.
In another vein, we offer exam invigilation services, which many people use to complete requirements for distance learning career programs and courses like FoodSafe.
Partnerships that support the priority:
Again, our partnership with CBAL is very important to this service as many of those with a low level of computer literacy use our drop-in sessions to learn basic job searching techniques.
Outcomes that were identified:
After spreading the word that we offer invigilation services, the number of exam invigilations went up 283% (between 2014 and 2015). Because we do not monitor patron activity on our computers, it is difficult to measure the number of people who use our internet and computers for job seeking. Still, anecdotally, I do see many people who were at the library printing resumes employed around town soon after.
A focus on collaboration between libraries and other partners
Library Goal that supports the priority:
From the incoming Strategic Plan: “We will reach out into our communities to further develop our partnerships and to seek to establish new ones.”
Programs and/or Services that aligns with the priority:
Some of our programs which can run thanks to collaborative efforts include:
Computer/technology help (with CBAL, an average of 8 participants per session)
Let's Talk About...... Bear Safety(with WildSafe BC, 10 participants)
The Great Book Debate (with Midway Public Library, Greenwood Public Library, and local elementary schools, 52 participants)
Legal issues and options related to credit & debt (with the Advocacy Centre, 8 participants)
Outcomes that were identified:
The teachers of children who participated in the Great Book Debate felt that the exercise was excellent for increasing their students’ reading comprehension skills. Again, we have not measured the outcomes from these programs besides the attendance, which is noted above.[1]
Summary
As the new Director here at the Grand Forks & District Public Library, I was only present for five months of 2015. I am new to the area and to this type of position, so the second half of 2015 flew by in a blur while I tried to keep up with the steep learning curve for my position. Still, I have certainly noticed that the public library is one of the most important resources for this area. Despite having a small population, our library always seems to be busy with patrons reading, using the computers, and popping in and out to check out or return materials. When I took up the position, I expected the library to be slow and quiet, but I have discovered it is anything but. I am thrilled to be a part of the library in a community where I do not constantly have to prove that libraries are still very relevant because the people in this area already know that.
In March of 2016, we will be adopting a new Strategic Plan to take us through to 2020. Our previous Strategic Plan had lofty goals for a whole new building based on major grants that did not come to fruition. Our new Strategic Plan is more cautious, with our main focus on continually improving our services with the resources we have available. The new plan is all about people: our staff, our Board, and our community, all working together to achieve the goals that all public libraries share. I am excited to be a part of it and can’t wait to see how it turns out.
[1] No one was attacked by a bear in our service area last year, so perhaps that could be considered a measurable outcome from the “Let's Talk About...... Bear Safety” program.