BARRHEAD – The Barrhead Public Library is signalling it will need more municipal funding in the coming year.
While director Lindsey Juke Turnbull stopped short of asking outright, she strongly suggested additional revenue would be necessary to carry out what she described as a much-needed modernization and refresh of the collection during her Aug. 26 presentation to town council.
"I'm not saying I'm going to ask for more money [from the town], but...," she said, trailing off.
The Onoway resident assumed the role in June, succeeding Elaine Dickey, who retired after 25 years of service.
Juke Turnbull comes to Barrhead from the Edmonton Public Library, where her role primarily involved working with community agencies and schools to oversee branch programs and build partnerships.
Turnbull said one of her first tasks in modernizing the library is to update its internal processes, starting with payroll, which still issues paper cheques, and moving more processes online. She is also working on streamlining the library's board meetings and revising its policies, particularly those related to health and safety.
"Making sure health and safety are at the forefront of what we do, addressing issues with the facility and how things are stored," Juke Turnbull said.
She added that the library has a lot of work to do to ensure its collection, especially of physical materials, remains relevant.
"Looking [at the library's strategic plan] for authenticating and fact-checking information for informed decision making, we want to have the most up-to-date and relevant collection for not only public library users, but our school library users, including homeschoolers, as well as assisting library users who are new to Canada find information in their preferred language," Juke Turnbull said.
She added that while the library's physical collection "was very full", perhaps too much so, as it did not give them the room to grow, it was very out of date, especially in particular subject areas.
Juke Turnbull then passed around a handful of books that she had pulled out from the library's collection, including a children's book that she called a "biohazard" due to mould, and another book, Wigwam Stories, also aimed at youth.
The latter, she said, "talks about clubbing and dragging people into the woods".
She also referred to a book in the library's collection on China, published in 1986.
"Imagine a child who is doing a project on China, and is using this book," Juke Turnbull said, adding she is sure a lot has changed in 39 years. "People say that having a book is better than no book, but that is wrong."
However, she said updating the collection will require additional resources.
Complicating her role, she said, is that Barrhead's library serves two roles. Located inside Barrhead Elementary School (BES), it must serve both its students and the general public.
"The two are really different beasts," Juke Turnbull said. "It can be very challenging to serve both in one building, with the same staff and the same collection."
On the plus side of the ledger, she said, is the library's public engagement and programming.
Juke Turnbull listed the library's regular board games and Lego sessions, visits to senior assisted living residences, and its summer reading program.
"We have some great community partnerships. The library has some great things it can build on."
Coun. Ty Assaf said one way the library could increase its revenue is by increasing membership by allowing online applications for library cards.
Juke Turnbull said that it is easier said than done, adding that several library systems, with much more resources, such as Edmonton, have had costly security issues.
She added that once a resident has a Barrhead library card, they have easy access to several services using their barcode.
Juke Turnbull said that while she agrees with increasing library membership and usage, it is unlikely to raise enough revenue, especially given the trend in the "library world" of offering free memberships.
"Our neighbours [Woodlands County] and Westlock are free. If you really want to increase memberships, that is the way to do it," Juke Turnbull said.
Coun. Dave Sawatzky asked how the United Conservative Party's rules banning materials under a ministerial order it considers sexually explicit will impact the Barrhead Public Library.
Juke Turnbull said that, as a school-based public library, they are exempt from the order.
She added that although Pembina Hills School Division contributes financially to the library (as does the Barrhead municipalities and the province), its staff are not their employees.
"What I've advised my staff is that the school staff who bring their children to the library must use their critical judgment to determine whether a student should check out the material."
Juke Turnbull said there are other safeguards in place to prevent BES students from checking out materials their parents deem age-inappropriate.
"Students are pretty much restricted to certain parts of the library. [Materials] are also marked with a general classification. If a book is marked juvenile, it is generally of a certain type of content," she said, adding that the library also received guidance from the Yellowhead Regional Library (YRL). "They also supported that it is the school staff that should be making that determination."
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
