Cheryl Sikora heads up the Lloydminster Public Library and told the Rotary Club of Lloydminster usage is way up at the new LloydMall location, along with new services and programs. Geoff Lee Meridian Source
The future of the Lloydminster Public Library is an open book with the latest chapter all about its new location in the LloydMall.
Head librarian, Cheryl Sikora, shared how library usage has been on the uptick since the doors opened in January during a presentation to the Rotary Club of Lloydminster on Monday.
“We’re super pleased with our new location and we really appreciate having the foot traffic from the mall. We really believe we contribute to the foot traffic in the mall as well,” said Sikora.
“The parking is fantastic, the hours are fantastic, it’s great.”
Usage data from the first five months of the year compared to the same period in 2019 proves her point, with foot traffic up 74 per cent and new library cards up 165 per cent.
Online-borrowing resources jumped 152 per cent and public Internet sessions rose by 39 per cent from the same point when the library was housed in the basement of the Atrium Centre.
Study pod bookings at the new space went from 1 per cent usage in January to 33 per cent in May, along with 1,377 card renewals.
The successful fresh start has also led to several new services and programs for all ages and interests, including a recent dungeons and dragons startup program geared toward teenagers.
The library has also introduced family storytime that’s hosted by members of the community and the library board—with more fun stuff to come.
“Next month, we will have a community crafting cupboard where we will exchange some crafting supplies amongst the community and we will have a free art gallery next month as well,” said Sikora.
The art gallery will work on a lend and take a piece of art basis and will include anything from kids’ fridge art to pottery.
The library has also turned into a fun space as Sikora recalls Lloydminster Youth Council members launching Smarties from catapults they made.
“We had a new program called ‘take and makers’ where we had paper bags with all the supplies for patrons to make something at home,” explained Sikora.
“For the youth council, we had popsicle sticks, elastics and spoons and Smarties in a bag as well as the instructions to make a catapult. We had a great time.”
Sikora also took the opportunity to ask Rotary to donate $200 to fund 200 take and make kits to offer some programming to people to do at home and as a reminder of the great things happening at the library.
“We are excited to have some new programming and engaging our community in different ways,” said Sikora, with 77 per cent of Library funding from the City of Lloydminster.
About 14 per cent comes from the Lakeland Library Region funded by the Government of Saskatchewan, with 4 per cent from Alberta and 2 per cent from grants.
The library also handed out 21,000 rapid test COVID kits in the first five months in partnership with the Lakeland Library Region as a Saskatchewan government program.
Their shopping wish list includes seeking funding sponsorship to purchase a library book bike for about $7,500 to bring the library to the community in the summertime.
“It’s a concept that proven in other communities like Airdrie. People could borrow library books right from the book bike,” said Sikora.
Anyone looking for a good book to read just has to ask.
Sikora just finished reading the Ink Black Heart, the sixth book in a mystery series she highly recommends. It was written J. K. Rowling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.
“We’re happy to make recommendations,” she said.
