Norm Harley’s letter “Dismal Survey” (Gazette, Sept. 28) makes a number of incorrect assertions about St. Albert Public Library that I would like to correct. First, most St. Albert residents use the library, not less than one per cent. In a random survey done in 2015 for the Facility Predictive Model, 73 per cent of residents had used the library in the past 12 months. With over 330,000 in-person visits last year, the library is one of the most-heavily used city facilities. And in terms of loans per capita, St. Albert Public Library is the busiest public library in Alberta.
Second, the library does not have an operating deficit, rather as an incorporated municipal service the library is funded annually by funds primarily from the City of St. Albert, much like the fire department or any other city service. As to Mr. Harley’s modest proposal to re-direct funds for the library toward buying everyone in St. Albert an eBook reader, I ask, where would people get their eBooks? Why, the library of course.
Finally, Mr. Harley is correct when he notes the library is overcrowded with books. We cram more books per square foot than any other Alberta public library except Airdrie. The collection is capped, so any new book added means another book must be withdrawn.
I believe our library has the most rigorous and ruthless collection management team anywhere. But the need for a branch library comes from more than just overcrowded shelves it comes from people. Modern libraries are all about people. They’re about young children learning to read and being with other kids. They’re about students learning and working together. They’re about families doing something they can all enjoy, together. They’re about seniors becoming digitally literate. And St. Albert Public Library is also about building community, helping all St. Albertans have a sense of belonging and preserving our small-town way of life. That’s what a new branch library is all about – St. Albertans and what they need to make a full life for them and their families.
Peter Bailey, CEO, St. Albert Public Library
