The St. Albert Library board wants to give free cards to all residents next year, while asking council for a 0.3 per cent budget increase.
Board chair Charmaine Brooks announced the plan to council Nov. 10 when she presented the board's 2017 funding request to council as part of the ongoing budget deliberations.
She explained other public libraries in the capital region, including Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan and Sherwood Park, have all moved to the free-card model. Many communities across the province have also made the move, so that the majority of Albertans now enjoy free library membership.
And considering non-residents who don't pay for library cards enjoy access to the St. Albert Library collections through the provincial inter-library loan system, she said the board felt it necessary to try free cards as a pilot program in 2017.
"I think as a board in response to our community, and also to the changing landscape in Alberta, we know this is something we have to do," Brooks said.
But she emphasized the library is not looking for a large increase from council to fund the project. Rather, the money will come through other efficiencies in the organization.
The total budget request from the city for 2017 is $4.1 million, up just under 0.3 per cent from the $4 million city grant in 2016. The library also gets provincial grant money to fund a portion of its operation – $355,700 last year and $364,500 this year – and also earns money from sales and user fees.
The proposed library budget anticipates a decrease in $109,200 in revenue from user fees with the introduction of the free-card pilot program.
Library director Peter Bailey, who joined Brooks for the presentation, explained the $100,000 increase in the budget request to the city comes as a result of wage adjustments, and a much-needed additional staff member.
"We've had very little growth in actual employees and staff, but we've seen an increase in use of the library," he said.
Council skepticism
Several council members expressed unease with the idea of providing free cards.
Mayor Nolan Crouse said no other organization the city funds would be able to come to council and say it was eliminating its user fees, citing the ringette association as an example. He did acknowledge that as a governance board the library board is able to make that decision on its own.
"It just feels like the decision you've made is transferred to the taxpayer eventually," he said.
Brooks replied that the comparison was essentially "apples and oranges," considering the respective roles libraries and sporting organizations play within a community – the latter being optional and recreational.
"Other things we participate in in our community are more by choice," she said. "This is a foundational service we enjoy."
Municipalities in Alberta are required by provincial law to fund library service in their communities, but council does have some discretion with respect to how much funding is provided.
Coun. Cam MacKay asked how council could prevent the reduction in fees if it didn't agree with the move. Brooks explained that council could approve reduced funding, but could not necessarily dictate how the money was spent.
"Your option to not support it through that mechanism would be your options, and we'd adjust it accordingly," she said.
Branch library
Brooks also spoke about the importance of a new branch library, referring to the steadily increased use and limited space for collections at the main library and several surveys showing residents want a new branch library and would be willing to accept a tax increase to pay for it.
"The need is real and the possibilities are definitely amazing," she said. "The time is now and St. Albertans have spoken. We urge you to move forward with this process."
Coun. Sheena Hughes had several questions about the makeup of the proposed $17 million branch library, what it would cost to build, fill and operate, who would pay for what and whether it was necessary to build something that big.
Bailey explained the best estimate for operating cost on the new library would be $1.3 million per year, with all factors considered. He said on opening day, he would expect to see between 30,000-35,000 collection items, and the space would have the capacity to hold up to 60,000 as the population and demand increase.
He said the board has already committed to fundraising $517,000, based on an earlier estimate of what it would cost for all the furniture, fixtures and equipment.
