Posted on 11 September 2024 by Chris Brown.
Medicine Hat Public Library is embarking on a new project that will bring more library services out into the community.
Continuing our
efforts to meet Medicine Hat residents and visitors where they’re at and expand
our services, the library will establish a small, permanent presence at Big
Marble Go Centre (BMGC).
"The library is very excited about this partnership
with the Big Marble Go Centre and the City of Medicine Hat,” says Ken Feser,
chief librarian.
“We know that our downtown location doesn't work for
everyone and we want to offer more convenient ways to access our collections
and services. This is a great opportunity for us to experiment and find
ways to deliver library services in ways that fit community needs and that are
sustainable within our existing budget. We are starting small and we will
adjust the service over time as we learn what people want."
To be located in
the lobby of BMGC, the library will primarily be a Read at Home collection to
start with. It will feature fiction and non-fiction books from our adult, young
adult and children’s collections for patrons to “borrow” on an honour-system,
grab-and-go basis. There will be no checkouts, so users don’t need to have a
library card, and there will be no due dates or overdue fines to worry about.
All we ask is that you bring the books you’ve “borrowed” back when you’re done.
The library at
BMGC will also have a selection of Read it Here items like children’s picture
books, newspapers and magazines. There will also be activities for children available
to take home or help them and their parents pass the time while their siblings
are in the pool or on the ice.
Staff will begin
placing shelving and stock the collections at BMGC in late September. A grand
opening celebration will take place in October, which is Canadian Library
Month. A date for the celebration will be announced in the coming weeks.
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