Leader library patrons voice concerns

By Joan Janzen

The city of Swift Current has approved a motion to establish a municipal library in Swift Current. While the current public library operates under the Chinook Regional Library system, the city is proposing the boundaries of the new municipal library be those of the existing City limits.

This change will not only remove Swift Current from the regional library system, but will have a significant impact on Leader’s local library and the people it serves. Program and inventory funding and hours of operation are just some of the concerns for the local library.

Leader’s librarian, Doreen Miller said libraries are already struggling when it comes to financing, especially with inflation. If Swift Current were to leave the Chinook Regional Library, it would amplify the present strain caused by the cost of shipping.

“I foresee it will effect the funding and our hours. I would also think this will effect the municipalities when it comes to financing,” Miller said.

Miller also speculated the impact if the Swift Current library is no longer a member of the Saskatchewan Information Library Services (SILS). “Right now I can order a book that is at Swift Current and I will have it within a couple of days, but if they don’t become a member, shipping to other libraries in the province from Swift Current will not happen,” she explained.

According to Miller, this change may also have a negative impact on the City of Swift Current and their patrons. “By belonging to Chinook, their patrons have better access to popular picks,” she noted. “It takes a large staff at headquarters to operate the Chinook Region. Who will do the cataloguing, programming, payroll, and oversee the everyday functions of the library?” Those additional costs would put a financial strain on the City of Swift Current.

At present, the Chinook Regional Library follows the governmental desire for economies of scale managed through cooperation and collaborative relationships. The first priority of the Provincial Public Sector Plan is to “build and maintain library systems that support the current level of services and promote growth”.