Duane Hicks
As library and town representatives met yesterday to discuss potential ways to reduce the library’s budget this year, council is being asked to be mindful of how well-used the library is and what it does for the community.
“Money matters aside, the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre is a top-tier library and council should be proud of the level of service we offer,” said library CEO Caroline Goulding, who, along with board member Kerry Zucchiatti, made a presentation during Monday afternoon’s budget meeting.
The local library is the sixth-most visited public library in Northern Ontario, she noted, behind only much-larger centres like Greater Sudbury, Thunder Bay, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, and Timmins.
A total of 112,593 people visited the library in 2016–enough visits for every resident to have come to the library 15 times.
Each visit costs the town $4.38–the lowest cost per visit of any of the comparator libraries (i.e., Kenora, Dryden, Sioux Lookout, Marathon, or Red Lake), as well as the aforementioned five that rank above this library in number of visits.
The library also helps the town reach out to its marginalized community members, providing an inclusive and welcoming safe space for the whole community, Goulding added.
“Some of the library’s most frequent users do not feel welcome in many places in our town, for many different reasons, but do feel welcome at the library,” she said.
As well, the “digital divide” is growing, and more and more people live at a disadvantage if they do not have Internet access.
“Your library is an institution where for 59 hours a week, anyone can access a computer and the Internet,” noted Goulding, adding there are days when every single one of the 13 computers in the computer lab is being used, as are the ones in the teen sections and children’s library.
According to the 2015 Public Libraries Annual Survey, the local library saw a total of 12,116 people attend various library programs (community development, children’s, teen, computer literacy, and adult learning).
This was more than double the amount of users seen by the comparator library with the second-highest program attendance–Marathon with 5,285 people.
The library’s programming has fostered children’s love of reading, supporting the development of literacy skills.
Last year, attendance at children’s programs reached 6,052 in total.
The library also gives teens something do. Beyond providing a space where they can hang out, the library also gives them volunteering and employment opportunities.
Last year, attendance at teen programs reached 1,670.
And the library has provided help for people who were learning new technology. Last year, 207 people came to the library for technology, social media, and computer literacy programming.
Other programs range from “Let’s Speak Ojibwe” to the knitting club, not to mention community events hosted at the library like “Trunk or Treat” or this past Saturday’s “SnOasis.”
“We offer something for everyone is our community–from an infant that is only a few days old to a senior in their 90s and everyone in between,” Goulding said.
“It is because Fort Frances has invested more in its library that its library is able to do more for its community,” she added.
Meanwhile, Zucchiatti noted “a library is not a business” but “a wonderful institution that provides, by law, many free services to patrons.”
“Local libraries take this further by adding in specialized and innovative programming that highlights arts, culture, and the specific needs of the community,” she added.
As well, public library usage is at an all-time high in Ontario.
More than 99 percent of Ontarians live in a community served by a public library and 74 percent used their library in the past year.
Ontario libraries are visited 72.5 million times each–that’s 12 million more than the NFL, NHL, and NBA’s combined North American ticket sales.
“Public libraries are essential spaces for access to cultural experience, technology, and community life,” said Zucchiatti.
“They are key access points for new technologies and digital resources . . . essential services that some community members cannot access elsewhere,” she noted.
