BONNYVILLE – Glendon Library Board will get $20,000 of start-up money from MD of Bonnyville following a motion that narrowly passed 3-2, on Nov. 28.
After lengthy discussions, Coun. Dana Swigart proposed a motion to approve a contribution of $20,000 for the Glendon Library board's start-up, with $9,000 coming from the 2023 operating budget and the remaining $11,000 from the cash flow reserve. Additionally, the motion included appointing Coun. Mike Krywiak to the Glendon Library Board for a two-year term.
The motion was carried 3-2, with councillors Dana Swigart, Don Slipchuck, and Darcy Skarsen voting in favour, and Reeve Barry Kalinski and Deputy Reeve Josh Crick voting against.
The Glendon Library Board requested a start-up budget of $20,000 from MD of Bonnyville, which was first brought forward at the Nov. 14 council meeting.
The Village of Glendon has been without a public library for 23 years, and steps have been taken to open a public library in Glendon School. The library officially opened earlier this fall.
The main issue council discussed was whether the new Glendon Library would drain resources and people away from the Bonnyville Municipal Library. Bonnyville is approximately 30 km away from Glendon.
Coun. Dana Swigart wanted an exact figure of how many people would likely use the library in the Glendon area rather than going to the Bonnyville Municipal Library.
Additionally, Coun. Ben Fadiyew’s (absent at the Nov. 28 meeting) reservations included what hours residents of the MD of Bonnyville could access the library during a school day, since it was located within the K-12 school.
In a presentation to council, the Glendon Library Board stated the library will allow residents to access services without traveling to Bonnyville. They also emphasized that libraries are community hubs that also offer community connection.
The presentation also mentioned the library could host activities appealing to a wide variety of age groups. Young children could participate in drop-in story time, makerspaces, and Read & Rolls, which promotes language and fine motor skills. The library could also be a place where youth can get after-school homework help, or join writing groups, and activities like board game nights.
For adults, the library could offer classes including financial literacy, resume writing, cooking, and sewing classes. For seniors, the library would offer computer classes helping older adults to stay engaged in a digital world.
The presentation also showed a program called “Read with a Senior,” which would take Grades 3-6 students to the library to listen to stories from seniors in the community.
On Nov. 14, council decided to gather further information before making a decision on the initial request.
In the following council session on Nov. 28, Glendon Library Board representative Noreen Cotton, clarified questions from council. Regarding the library’s hours of operation, Cotton said the library would be open for 45 hours per week, and that the initial hours were just a “soft open.”
Questions were also asked about the library board’s funding. Cotton explained the provincial government provides $11,000 in annual per capita funding, but the Glendon Library Board does not receive funding from the Northern Lights Library System.
“What we're asking for today is a one-time support to help with our start-up expenses because we need a lot of equipment, books, furniture, technology and equipment,” said Cotton.
As of Oct. 30, people in Glendon can register for library cards and take out books at the new public library.