1986 to 1990
1986
Valleyview Municipal Library joined the Peace Regional Library System.
Location: 4802 – 50 Street (Shared with Town Office/Fire Hall)
Population served: not listed
Hours of Service:
Mondays, Noon to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.
Tuesdays, Noon to 5 p.m.
Wednesdays, Noon to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.
Thursdays, Noon to 5 p.m.
Fridays, Noon to 5 p.m.
Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Summer hours do not change
Library Board Trustees:
Chair, Linda Sutton
Secretary, Jeanette French
Treasurer, Pat Gilchrist
Grethe Jensen
Margaret Ryzuk
Doris Crump
Elizabeth Bagdan
Carmen Fellin-Rocco
Council Rep: Michael Rosso
Staffing:
Librarian, Joy Winter
Assistant, Sophie Major
Student helpers
Janitor
Staffing costs for the year: $22,601
Finances:
Income $57,069
Expenses $50,243
Surplus $6,826
Collection: 14,235 items (35 cassettes, 18 magazine subs, 2 newspapers)
Circulation: 21,689 loans and 926 Interlibrary loans
Membership fees:
Adults $3.00
Students $1.00
Children $.50
Family $6.00
Non-Resident $20
Registered memberships: 189 adults; 288 juveniles; 150 family
Programs/Events & Attendance: 24 programs with 785 attendees
Comments on Annual Report:
In February and March, a story & craft program was run weekly for 6-10 year olds. 7 sessions drew 142 participants. Grant McEwan toured the Peace Country in April and we were delighted to host him for an evening of reminiscing and stories.
In May, we tried a new project – a story and craft hour for pre-schoolers. 5 sessions were held and ten children registered. It was very successful as each session was filled. We created ‘Our Zoo’ and the children learned about various animals.
During July and August, the Summer Reading Club was run by library staff and helpers. 8 sessions were held with 100 children taking part. A play by Second Street Theatre from Grande Prairie was the grand finale and well-received.
In October, a puppet performance was given with over 200 children and parents.
Alberta Book Month was celebrated in December with a competition for children to design a book cover, we had an excellent response.
1987
Location: 4802 – 50 Street (Shared with Town Office/Fire Hall)
Population served: 2,500
Hours of Service:
Mondays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.
Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.
Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Summer hours do not change
Library Board Trustees:
Chair, Doris Crump
Secretary, Marilyn Johnston
Treasurer, Pat Gilchrist
Grethe Jensen
Sandra Whittaker
Elizabeth Bagdan
Dawnita Johnson
Patricia Gillespie
Town Council Rep, Jane Bourlon
Staffing:
Librarian, Joy Winter $9.35/hr
Assistant, Sophie Major $6.20/hr
Student helpers, $3.80-$6.00/hr
Finances:
Income $71,938
Expenses $71,938
Collection: 10,350 items
(31 magazine subscriptions, 124 cassettes, 30 large print)
Circulation: 24,064 loans and 819 inter-library loans
Membership fees:
Adults $3.00
Students $1.00
Children $.50
Family $6.00
Non-Resident $20
Registered memberships: 232 adult; 246 juvenile; 148 family
Programs/attendees: 23 programs attended by 195 people
Comments:
A complete inventory was carried out in February. In March, a new reference corner was set up. Author, Mark Thurman visited Valleyview in November. We held successful pre-school story/craft sessions throughout the year.
The Summer Reading Program was quite successful. An answer corner was set up.
1988
Location: 4802 – 50 Street (Shared with Town Office/Fire Hall)
Population served: Not listed in this report
Hours of Service:
Mondays, Noon to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.
Tuesdays, Noon to 5 p.m.
Wednesdays, Noon to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.
Thursdays, Noon to 5 p.m.
Fridays, Noon to 5 p.m.
Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Summer hours do not change
Library Board Trustees:
Chair, Doris Crump
Secretary –
Treasurer, Pat Gilchrist
Grethe Jensen
Sandra Whittaker
Elizabeth Bagdan
Pat Gillespie
Jane Bourlon (Town Council Rep)
Staffing:
Librarian, Joy Winter $9.54/hr
Assistant, Sophie Major $7.80/hr
2 student helpers, $3.80-$6.00/hr.
Janitorial contract, $400/month
Finances:
Income $78,927
Expenses $78,927
Collection: 13,219 items (43 magazine subscriptions, 2 newspapers, 202 cassettes, 7 videotapes)
Circulation: 25,497 loans and 653 interlibrary loans. 1135 of the loans were books on tape/cassette or read-alongs
Membership fees:
Adults $3.00
Students $1.00
Children $.50
Family $6.00
Non-Resident $20
Registered memberships: 244 adults; 226 juvenile; 154 family
Programs/Attendance:
38 programs with 440 attendees
Comments from Annual Report:
In 1988, we have been concentrating on programming in the library. We have held very successful story and craft hours for 3-5 years olds and for ages 6-12 which have been ongoing all year and will continue in 1989.
We have been trying to reach senior citizens and shut-ins with little to no success. We have offered to deliver books to the lodge and private residences with help from the Valleyview Volunteer Society, but so far have no customers. Otherwise, we have had a busy successful year.
1989
Location: 4802 – 50 Street (Shared with Town Office/Fire Hall)
Population served: Not listed on report
Hours of Service:
Mondays, Noon to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.
Tuesdays, Noon to 5 p.m.
Wednesdays, Noon to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.
Thursdays, Noon to 5 p.m.
Fridays, Noon to 5 p.m.
Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Summer hours do not change
Library Board Trustees:
Chair, Pat Gillespie
Secretary, Sandra Whittaker
Treasurer, Pat Gilchrist
Elizabeth Bagdan
Doris Crump
Doreen Winchester
D. Straub
Grethe Jensen
Jane Bourlon (Town of Valleyview)
Staffing:
Librarian, Sophie Major, $9.00/hr
Assistant, Connie Fraser $7.00/hr
Student helper, $4.20-$7.00/hr
Janitorial contractor $400/mth
$75 for story time facilitators
Finances:
Income $83,461
Expenses $83,461
Collection: 13,422 items (47 magazines, 66 audio, 265 talking books)
Circulation: 26,426 loans, 598 inter-library loans (1402 were audio/visual loans, 714 periodicals)
Membership fees:
Adults $3.00
Students $1.00
Children $.50
Family $6.00
Senior – no charge
Non-Resident $20
Registered memberships: 230 adults; 294 juvenile; 540 family
Programs/Attendance:
59 programs with 643 attendees
Comments from Annual Report:
Our major achievement this year has been the completion of our Plan of Service. We now have a timeframe to follow for short and long-term goals that have been established. We have also been trying to raise the profile of our library in the community. Through programming for children local media coverage and school visits by our staff, we feel that our place in the community has been noticed. Our service to senior citizens has increased dramatically. We now make regular delivery of books to the local seniors’ home and find that our membership in this group is growing.
1990
Location: 4802 – 50 Street (Shared with Town Office/Fire Hall)
Population served: Not listed on Annual Report
Hours of Service:
Mondays, Noon to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.
Tuesdays, Noon to 5 p.m.
Wednesdays, Noon to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.
Thursdays, Noon to 5 p.m.
Fridays, Noon to 5 p.m.
Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Summer hours do not change
Library Board Trustees:
Chair, Pat Gillespie
Secretary, Sandra Whittaker
Treasurer, Pat Gilchrist
Elizabeth Bagdan
Doris Crump
Doreen Winchester
D. Straub
Grethe Jensen
D. Winchester
Jane Bourlon (Town of Valleyview)
Staffing:
Librarian, Sophie Major, $9.45/hr
Assistant, Connie Fraser $7.35/hr
Student helper, $4.50/hr
Janitorial contractor $400/mth
$75 for story time facilitators
Finances:
Income $81,943
Expenses $81,943
Collection: 14,018 items (31 Large print, 106 read-along kits, 288 books on tape,
3 video tapes)
Circulation: 26,939 loans, 407 interlibrary loans
Membership fees:
Adults $3.00
Students $1.00
Children $.50
Family $6.00
Senior – no charge
Non-Resident $20
Registered memberships: 240 adults; 200 juveniles; 165 family; Seniors 26
Programs/Attendance:
61 programs with 475 attendees
16 out-reach to seniors’ lodge, 4 to local schools
Comments from Annual Report:
Universal borrowers’ card in use with membership in Peace Library System. Preschool story time is very popular with facilitator Noemi Maitland. Summer Reading Club with 60 children attending. Celebrated the library’s 20th anniversary in June. Invited former board members, staff, MLA, Mayor and other local dignitaries for a celebration tea.
A 20th Anniversary History
The following letter was written by Joy Winter, the first paid librarian in Valleyview. Joy wrote this letter for the Library’s 20th Anniversary Celebration.
To Staff and Board Members,
Congratulations on 20 years of great library service to the Valleyview district!
On looking back, a few memories come to mind, and I will jot these down and you can do with them what you may!
Before my family and I moved to Valleyview in 1975, I was the librarian in a much smaller town in Saskatchewan (population 1,000). Around 1973, a new town office and library was constructed and we became members on the Parkland Regional Library System. My earliest memory therefore, was one of surprise that no such organization existed in Alberta. In Saskatchewan, we always thought that Alberta was ahead of us! However, I soon volunteered my services to the local library and willingly put in my few volunteer hours each month. Today, the situation is greatly improved, due to much hard work by board, staff and volunteers, the construction of new facilities, and the inception of the Peace Regional Library System.
Among my first memories of the old library, is one of Linda Sutton, who always seemed to be on duty on Saturday afternoons, rain or shine. She always brought her two daughters, Tanya and Shawna with her. Shawna would often be taking a nap on a blanket in the very dark and small storeroom, while Tanya would be busy ‘helping mom’.
The old library (for the benefit of newcomers) was situated where the Fire Hall is today* and the door was on the west side. It was quite scary to work there alone in the evenings, as quite often the outside lights would be off and the pathway was very dark. There was a small porch just inside the door, and the library was arranged so that if you were at the desk, you did not know who was coming in until they were almost on top of you! Also, the telephone was an extension of the town office phone, so once the office was closed for the day, it couldn’t be used. It was amazing that none of us was every set upon, but maybe violence wasn’t so prevalent then, and unless you were a ‘bookworm’ we didn’t have much worth stealing anyway!
Some time later (two or three years, I think) it was suggested by Linda Sinkewich (who was then the librarian at Hillside High School), that we should catalogue and arrange our non-fiction books using the Dewey Decimal System. Kay Meldrum went on a crash course at Hillside and armed with our Dewey ‘bible’ we all set to work to accomplish this. I am not sure how long it took us, but we had a lot of fun and learned a lot doing it. We usually got together in groups, so that if a particularly bothersome book came along, we could discuss where it should be catalogued. I am sure that many books ended up in weird places at first, but as we got used to the system, mistakes became fewer and fewer.
In 1979, it was decided that the Town Office complex was in such dilapidated condition that it should be torn down and a new one built. Of course, that meant that the library would have to move to temporary quarters. A double classroom at Harry Gray Elementary was offered, so once again, we had a large project on our hands. Box by box, and shelf by shelf, we gradually completed our move. We opened during the lunch hour once a week and we were always very busy.
The new Town Office was completed in May 1980, and this time, the library was placed at the front of the building instead of being tucked away at the back! We took advantage of every government grant we could, and with the generous financial support of local service clubs, we were able to purchase new shelving and furnishings. Once again, the ‘movers’ got to work and boxes and boxes of books and other paraphernalia were trundled across town!
On June 1, 1980, the new library was opened to the public for the first time. I was fortunate enough to be hired as the first paid librarian, a position I held until last July (1989) when I left Valleyview for a year. It is a great occupation and one I enjoy tremendously. Without exception, we have had very dedicated, interested and hard-working board and staff members. Our library collection is second-to-none for a small town, and is frequently admired by Peace Library System staff and out-of-town visitors, especially those from larger centers.
Our staff has now grown to four, and we can only look forward to bigger and better things. Who knows, maybe we will have that beautiful new library one of these days!
Joy Winter
*In 1990. Since then, a new fire hall was built and in 2022, is located at 4701 – 50 Street. A new Town Office was completed in 2019 – an energy efficient Net Zero building located at 4909 – 50 Street.