BONNYVILLE – Between February and March, the Bonnyville Municipal Library has seen a large growth in the number of patrons stopping in.
“We've gone from about 2,000 people in February to over 3,000 in March. That has been wonderful,” said Nicole Labrie, Bonnyville’s new library manager.
“We are getting a lot of people coming through the doors even on regular days. Of course, when we have programs and events the numbers are even higher. So that's been really great to see.”
Labrie is a Lakeland transplant who grew up in Elk Point and spent years as a teen spending time and working and the Elk Point Library. After completing an undergraduate degree at the University of Alberta, Labrie entered a career in accounting.
Having started her new position with the Bonnyville library in November, Labrie laughs thinking about her past career as an accountant. “I really was not a numbers person,” she chuckled.
It was Labrie’s father who first showed her the ad in the newspaper for an open library manager position in Bonnyville. He encouraged her to apply, and she did.
“I grew up working in the library and it's really about keeping [a library] a safe space,” said Labrie. “It was a safe space for me growing up and it's a safe space for a lot of people now. I want to be part of keeping that for people and especially for kids. If they want to come here, hopefully they feel comfortable.”
When Labrie started her new role, she immediately fell into the rhythm of the library and was quickly introduced to all the library’s regular visitors.
Over the last few months, Labrie and the library’s staff and board members have been working together, getting creative and looking to boost programs offered at the public library.
A new and growing program at the library has been hosting a Pokémon League run by Brad Brusdeilins in partnership with the Bonnyville Friendship Centre.
The bookmobile program that travels to the Bonnylodge is also planning to expand to include visits to The Hive, Lakeland’s youth hub.
“We're really trying to drive people in who may have never come in before, and to see what people are interested in,” Labrie said.
Used Book Sale kicks off
The library’s Used Book Sale kicked off on April 11 and will run until mid-May.
An official end date hasn’t been selected. “It depends on how quickly items go and the demand from the public,” explained Labrie.
Different items will be added regularly, so community members are encouraged to check back regularly.
Revenue generated from the book sale goes back into the library’s operating budget so it can be reinvested into the library.
“We'll be using [funds] to help build up our collections. We've also got board game boxes that are pretty new and have so far been seeing good traction.”
Items that can be purchased from the sale include books, DVDs, CDs and more, ranging from $0.25 to $2.
“If you want to come to the book sale, bring a bag. We have got some bags and some boxes, but if you are wanting to take a big stack home, bring a big ol’ bag,” advised Labrie.