Duane Hicks
The roles of community libraries are changing but the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre is ready for the future.
Library board chair Andrew Hallikas and vice-chair Robert Schulz unveiled to town council Monday night the library’s 2015-18 strategic plan—a document which outlines how the library has grown and where it’s headed.
“Libraries have changed—they must in order to stay relevant,” stressed Hallikas.
“When people ask me about the library, I like to say to them, ‘This ain’t your momma’s library,’” he added.
Libraries have shifted from a focus primarily on print books to also offering electronic books and online resources, as well as increasingly diverse programs and services relevant to the community, Hallikas noted.
This programming has ranged from Ojibwe language classes, ballroom dancing, movie nights, and a “Magic The Gathering” league to a fireside knitting club, a seed library, a maker space with a 3D printer, and open mic nights, he added.
Circulation of physical materials is down here as it is around the province, Hallikas conceded.
Total use of materials was 97,000 in 2015, compared to 107,000 in 2014 and 112,000 in 2013.
But use of the digital collection is growing, as is programming, Hallikas said.
Gate count (or patronage as the library calls it) is up, with 108,000 in 2015 compared to 96,000 in 2014 and 88,000 in 2013.
Programming attendance is up significantly over past years, with12,000 people attending programs in 2015.
By comparison, 11,000 attended programs in 2014 and just 6,000 in 2013.
“We want to be the community’s living room,” Hallikas explained. “Our library has something for every single person in our community—babies, children, tweens, teens, adults, seniors, visitors, and even councillors.
“Come and see us.
“We celebrate diversity and inclusivity,” he added. “We want everyone to join us at our library.”
The majority of the strategic plan was developed by former library board chair, the late Joyce Cunningham, and the previous library board, with the assistance of professionals from the Ontario Library Association.
Schulz noted Cunningham’s “fingerprints are all over this plan,” adding that “without her, I don’t know if we’d have been able to come up with such a very good plan.”
The draft of the plan then was turned over the new board, which added its own perspectives and opinions.
The final document is a hybrid that was ratified and adopted by the board, with Hallikas noting the library CEO, board, and staff “are very pleased with the end result and the process that got us there.”
Schulz said there was little to no cost incurred in the development of the plan as the library worked closely with the Ontario Library Services (OLS) and OLS North.
The plan
The mission statement is: “We provide superior service and partnerships which work to inspire discovery, exploration and creation by all, through continuous learning and technological advancement of the community.”
The library’s vision is: “Working to inspire all to discover, explore, innovate and create.”
This vision is to be realized through four pillars: the physical environment of the library, its community approach, its technology, and its staffing.
Regarding the physical environment, the library aims to be welcoming, as well as create a safe environment that supports diversity and inclusion, which is supported by library policy and meets legislative requirements.
Another goal is to be accessible and nurture a sustainable environment, where all voices are heard, participation is maximized, and barrier-free access is strived for.
Meanwhile, its community goals are to meet emerging needs by providing outreach, building relationships, and fostering dynamic partnerships throughout the district, and use a grassroots approach to build consensus while connecting and engaging the community.
The library actively has pursued contracts for library services with surrounding townships, First Nations, Métis, and aboriginal communities, and formed partnerships with regional libraries and school boards.
It also has worked with the First Nation, Métis, and Inuit community to enhance the current library space to reflect diversity, using arts and culture, and has posted signage in multiple languages (i.e., English, French, Ojibwe, and Cree).
The library also strives to develop services to ensure its collections are current and reflective of the diverse community here, as well as to ensure programming and services meet community needs and trends while engaging users and non-users.
Its technological goals are to actively promote existing technologies and engage the community through simplified access, as well as to maintain and develop current systems (including hardware, software and online resources), and to facilitate the community’s exposure to technological innovation and advance their use of emerging tools.
The plan also states that library staff goals are to “deliver a positive, user-centered experience through superior service, by striving to exceed expectations and making each experience memorable, by focusing on the needs of the individual” and to “maintain consistent service levels through succession planning and development.”
Hallikas stressed none of what the library is doing would be possible without the co-operation and support of the Town of Fort Frances.
On behalf of the library board, he thanked the mayor, council, and town staff for all of the support they “willingly and without hesitation provide and have provided” to the library.
“We couldn’t do what we do without you,” he reiterated.
Hallikas added the library is “blessed to be part of a very generous and giving municipality,” noting the support isn’t simply monetary but the skills and services that are provided to it.
This support ranges from having two council reps on the library board to maintenance assistance, snow removal, treasury department expertise, human resources help, and much more.
“We’ve never, ever had any negative encounter with any town employee,” said Hallikas. “And I can’t say how rare that it is across the province.
“You folks have treated your library beautifully.”
A copy of the strategic plan will be available on the library’s website at library.fort-frances.com
