2021 to 2023
2021
Location: 4804 – 50 Ave. (Main Street)
Hours of Service:
1,450 Hours Open
January and February of 2021, the library was closed to the public due to COVID-19 mandates, but were able to offer curbside service Tuesday through Friday from 11-5. In March, we opened for limited browsing in a mini-library which was easier to keep sanitized. On April 7, we closed to the public as per provincial mandates with curbside service only and remained operating curbside service only until June 10, 2021, when we were able to re-open with limited browsing and mandatory masking. In August, we returned to full library service with mandatory masking with curbside service available for those who chose not to wear a mask. In December, we opened for longer hours for curbside pick-ups in response to community requests.
Library Board Trustees:
Chair, Adam Norris
Tanya Boman (TVV)
Kelli Reimer
Debbie Wedel
Louis Joseph
Scott Biggin
Debbie Stewart
Staffing:
Library Coordinator, Kerri Danner
3 P/T staff
Total staff hours – 5,638
Volunteers – 2 volunteers for 132 hours
Collection: 19,908 items; 359 audio books; 1,879 DVDs - while we were closed to the public, library staff did full inventory and removed outdated items.
Circulation: 12,446 circulations; 7,460 interlibrary loan items borrowed from other libraries; 5,332 interlibrary loan items lent to other libraries; 2,500 reference transactions; 1,500 in-house use of library materials.
In-Person Visits: 4,773 in person visits; 8,149 virtual visits to website; Facebook total reach of 44,449 - 2,441 post engagements
Programs/Attendance: 57 virtual programs with 3,073 participants
Membership fees:
We did not charge membership fees or overdue fees in 2021
987 cardholders
Public Computers:
2 public computers (due to personal distancing requirements)
387 Workstation sessions; 1,899 wi-fi log-ins
Finances:
The Library Board projected expenses/income for 2021 was $270,500.00
Assets at January 1, 2021: $8,927.56 in operating account; $5,000 GIC; $250 petty cash
Actual Income for 2021: $245,380.69
Actual Expenses for 2021: $258,076.50
Assets at December 31, 2021: $63,840.10 ($18,329.83 in operating account; $40,260.27 in reserves; $5,000 GIC; $250 petty cash)
Comments:
2021 was the Library Board's first full year operating independently from the Town of Valleyview with the Library Manager taking over all payroll/benefits, bookkeeping and banking. The Library Board signed agreements in 2020 with both the Town of Valleyview and MD of Greenview Library Board. Our library received funding from Pembina Pipeline Corp to bring the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to our community. This program provides a free book per month for registered children between birth and five years of age. This funding commitment from Pembina is in place until 2026. The library partnered with our local FCSS to bring a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) called 'Safe Space' to the community for kids 12-17. Our library board is the grant holder for the Community Adult Learning Program (CALP), so we work closely with the CALP to share resources and facility space for CALP staff and programs. We also partnered with local businesses for our Pokemon Go Fest in July 2021. Local businesses supported the event which encouraged people to get out and explore our community, they offered discounts and donated prizes for draws which took place at the library. We are pleased that the library continues to be a community hub, which was one of our Plan of Service goals.
We are excited to join the growing number of libraries in the Province to remove late fees effective Jan 1, 2021 (after a trial period during the COVID-19 pandemic).
2022
Location: 4804 – 50 Ave. (Main Street)
Hours of Service:
1,400Hours Open
Tuesday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closed Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and Stat holidays. We were open a few Saturdays for special events.
Library Board Trustees:
Chair, Adam Norris
Tanya Boman (TVV)
Kelli Reimer
Debbie Wedel
Louis Joseph
Scott Biggin
Debbie Stewart
Judy Smith
6 meetings held
Staffing:
Library Coordinator, Kerri Danner
5 P/T staff
Total staff hours – 6,697
Volunteers – 5 volunteers for 236 hours
Collection: 21,071 items in collection
Circulation: 16,810 circulations; 4,627 interlibrary loan items borrowed from other libraries; 3,413 interlibrary loan items lent to other libraries; 1,400 reference transactions; 1,500 in-house use of library materials.
In-Person Visits: 9,790 in person visits; 7,842 virtual visits to website; Facebook total reach of 44,449 - 2,441 post engagements; 64 meeting space bookings; 120 informal technology assistance transactions
Programs/Attendance: 374 programs with 3,711 participants; 10 digital literacy sessions; 4 outreach programs with 617 participants
Membership fees:
We did not charge membership fees or overdue fees in 2021
1271 cardholders
Public Computers:
4 public computers
2,444 Workstation sessions; 27,597 wi-fi log-ins
Finances:
The Library Board projected expenses/income for 2022 was $276,850.00
Assets at January 1, 2022: $63,840 carried forward from 2021 ($18,329.83 in operating account; $40,260.27 in reserves; $5,000 GIC; $250 petty cash)
Actual Income for 2022: $298,292.21
Actual Expenses for 2022: $273,037.77
Assets at December 31, 2022: $89,094.54 ($25,616 in operating account; $58,228.44 in reserves; $5,000 GIC; $250 petty cash)
Comments:
In January of 2022, our Library went fine free. We began a harm reduction program in partnership with Northreach Society of Grande Prairie, offering free sexual health information. We began a Free Pantry program in partnership with Valleyview Gives Helping Hands and have a small pantry with a variety of non-perishable foods, personal hygiene items like toothpaste, dental floss, soap, etc., that people can access since our local food bank is only open one day per month. The library provides space for the pantry but all donations of items come from the public.
Using funding through the Indigenous Library Services grant we have been providing library outreach to Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation School, and our library helped organized the Sisters in Spirit Walk to honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, and we began an Elder's Circle in November that meets twice a month at the library. We had our highest attendance at Summer Reading Club in our history, with 246 kids attending throughout the summer. In partnership with our local FCSS, we have continued our GSA/Safe Space program for teens 13-17 weekly.
Valleyview no longer has a local newspaper, so our library is trying to fill the gap by operating Valleyview Online Community Events and News facebook page, which has almost 4,700 followers. In addition, the library's own facebook page has over 2,000 followers and a page reach of 61,952 in 2022. We are getting back to our pre-COVID levels of in-person visits and program attendance.
2023
Location: 4804 – 50 Ave. (Main Street)
Hours of Service:
1,450 Hours Open
Library Board Trustees:
Chair, Adam Norris
Tanya Boman - (TVV January to October 2023)
Ken Wittig - (TVV beginning November 2023)
Kelli Reimer
Debbie Wedel
Louis Joseph
Scott Biggin
Debbie Stewart
Judy Smith
8 meetings
Staffing:
Library Coordinator, Kerri Danner
3 P/T staff
Total staff hours – 6,240
Volunteers – 4 volunteers for 280 hours
Collection: 20,347 items; 1,500 in-house use of library materials
Circulation: 12,475 circulations; 3,362 interlibrary loan items borrowed from other libraries; 3,350 interlibrary loan items lent to other libraries; 1,000 reference transactions; 1,500 in-house use of library materials.
In-Person Visits: 19,471 in person visits; 4,065 virtual visits to website; Facebook total reach of 44,449 - 2,441 post engagements; 600 informal technology assistance transactions; 3 exams invigilated; 8 meeting space rentals; 5 outreach sessions with 400 participants
Programs/Attendance: 471 programs with 4,5311 participants
Membership fees:
We did not charge membership fees or overdue fees in 2023
1302 cardholders
Public Computers:
4 public computers
3,490 Workstation sessions; 27,499 wi-fi log-ins
Finances:
The Library Board projected expenses/income for 2023 of $$275,800
Assets at January 1, 2023: $89,094.54 ($25,616 in operating account; $58,228 in reserves; $5000 GIC; $250 petty cash)
Actual Income for 2023: $315,305
Actual Expenses for 2023: $309,377
Assets at December 31, 2022: $220,022 ($156,659 in operating account; $58,113 in reserves; $5,000 GIC; $250 petty cash)
Comments:
We completed our 2024-2026 Plan of Service with the following areas of focus: Visit a comfortable space; Stimulate imagination and satisfy curiosity; Information fluency and making informed choices; Literacy and Life Skills for children and youth; and Celebrating Diversity. We were pleased to receive a $10,000 Public Library Grant for Skills Development in Rural Alberta, which has enabled us to purchase devices and provide technology training to area residents to help build proficiency with devices, software and technology and build employability skills. Our youth Dungeons & Dragons program was so popular that we had to start a second group to accommodate all the kids who wanted to attend. We co-planned the Sisters In Spirit Walk for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Two-Spirit People with 50 walkers attending. We co-host a weekly GSA group for teens 13-17 in partnership with our local FCSS. We have a community pantry stocked with ready-to-eat foods supplied via donations from a local group called Valleyview Gives Helping Hands and community members. We have partnered with organizations like the Family Resource Network by providing program space for families with young children. We also began hosting Menopause Cafe and partner with FCSS for Death Cafe as well as provide space for a Peer Grief Support group.