A provincial grant will help the Houston Public Library improve its amenities for patrons over the next three years.
In addition to its regular grants amounting to $34,986.20 this year, the library is the recipient of a one-time grant of $81,772.75 to spend this year and into 2025, says library director Sara Lewis.
A list has established but no dollar amounts yet have been decided upon for each item, she said.
“A large amount will go to programming over the next three years, including wages,” Lewis added.
Also on the list are: adding to the collection budget which has not increased in seven years.
- New chairs for the Canfor Room
- Lendable tablets for people without their own devices wanting access to e-books and e-audiobooks
- New blinds,New chairs for the main area tables, New table and chairs for the teen section
“We are also looking into the possibility of starting a lendable video game collection,” said Lewis.
News of the three-year grant comes as the Houston Public Library Association prepares to hold its annual general meeting the end of this month.
With two long-term trustees preparing to step down, association chair Allen Elliott has issued a call for interested volunteers to join the board.
Crucially, Elliott added, losing two trustees with no replacements would mean not having enough people on the board to legally operate.
“It is vital the library has enough new trustees join or funding may be lost,” he noted in a recent open letter to the community.
Library board meetings are held 10 times a year and are usually one hour or less in length via Zoom or in person.
Elliott said that while the board is responsible for governance and policy, its regular operations fall under the mandate of the library director.
Elliott also listed the expanded list of services being provided by the library in addition to its traditional role of lending books and offering programs and recreational activities for young readers.
It has DVDs, e-books, e-audiobooks, public access computers, free 24/7 Wifi and will print, scan or fax documents.
The Canfor room is available for rentals and library staff will act as invigilators for people taking exams.
More information is available by contacting library director Sara Lewis at 250-845-2256 or by email at director@houstonlibrary.ca.