North Battleford library’s 2018 year-end numbers saw a slight impact from last summer’s construction work downtown but overall had a good year. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff) : Angela Brown

By Angela Brown

Library growing

Library circulation down slightly but e-resources, programming strong

Mar 1, 2019 | 10:50 AM

The North Battleford library has seen some impact in its numbers as a result of downtown construction last summer, but overall, it has performed well in 2018, based on the board’s latest report.

Library board-chair Betty Leslie said in her written statement that public computer usage and WiFi access showed an increase again this year. She said the reduced numbers in 2018 for circulation were “expected” due to the impact from construction to library plaza, the library clock tower, and the city’s capital works projects.

The report was presented at city council’s recent meeting.

Head librarian Caroline Popadick concurred, saying while the circulation decreased last year, it was less than 10 per cent, compared to 2017. If the drop had been more, say about 50 per cent less, that would have been more concerning.

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“It’s unfortunate that they were down but a list of causes would include for example the Library Plaza construction that was going on, where we had to be closed and we had limited access,” she said.

Popadick said the major downtown reconstruction and revitalization work affected a number of businesses, not just the library.

Another factor that may have played a part in the final numbers, Popadick said, is that the library didn’t include its e-resource numbers in the circulation count; however, it’s not known whether the count was included in the 2017 circulation tally or calculated separately.

In 2018, a total of 145,163 items were borrowed, 41 per cent of Lakeland Library Region’s total circulation for the year.

In-person visits added up to 94,386 and there were 648 new patron registrations. Computer and WiFi sessions came in at 16,837. The library offered 253 programs in the year and saw 4,119 people attend. E-resource use also continued to grow in 2018.

Popadick said the library is involved in a great deal of outreach efforts, which also doesn’t necessarily involve checking books out to visitors.

“We’re going out into the community and doing programs, and that’s all library work,” she said.

Where programming is concerned, Popadick said the library performed particularly well. The Indigenous Storytellers program attracted close to 500 children over three days. As well, the summer reading program saw more than 200 registrations.

“We do focus a lot of our work on programming, and being that community space for people, instead of a traditional library that’s brick and mortar and books,” Popadick said. “We’re much more than that.”

When looking at e-resources, she said people have the option to borrow an item remotely from home for example to offer members more options.

“I think we’re responding well to what the community needs,” Popadick said. “People are still borrowing physical books but we have the programming, the e-resources, the e-books that people borrow as well that you don’t physically see.”

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow