EPL’s downtown branch is a microcosm of the active downtown core, full of life and, for better or worse, different groups of people exchanging ideas and brushing up against each other.
By Janice Vis
A post-secondary student picks at a poutine, his textbooks pushed away while he flips through an automotive magazine. Nearby, two elderly men wordlessly exchange glances and newspapers, and bored preteen is playing games on his phone. Across the room, a young brunette with down syndrome works at a computer with her aide. A man in a bright orange construction jacket browses the shelves, stepping out of the way of an elderly lady clutching three documentaries. Two middle-aged men in sharp business suits stand near the entrance, holding empty styrofoam take-out boxes. As I take in the scene, a teenager in red plaid passes by. ”Nice hair,” he winks. I raise an eyebrow.
It’s a typical Tuesday at the downtown library.
My investigation into EPL seemed incomplete without taking a closer look at its location in the heart of the city. EPL’s downtown branch--currently found in Enterprise Square while the Stanley Milner undergoes a few years of renovations--is a microcosm of the active downtown core, full of life and, for better or worse, different groups of people exchanging ideas and brushing up against each other. Katherine Gibson, the assistance manager of the location, is excited about “the cross-section of people” frequenting the library. “You never know who you’re going to talk to or hear from, what conversations you’re going to have, and that’s really, really cool,” she explained.
EPL’s downtown branch is busy, although attendance has halved since the move to Enterprise Square, which has only about 20% of the space of the Stanley Milner. After the move, a friend told me the new location felt “small and cramped.” Still, the temporary location sees around two thousand in-person visits each day, and when I ask Gibson how important the library is to the downtown neighbourhood, she says, “I think we’re super important--lynchpin almost,” highlighting that the library is “one of the few free public spaces left that people can come to,” with free programs, access to books, magazines, and computers. “People can sit and read, meet with other people, you know, have one-on-one tutoring sessions here; whatever they need to do. We are that place where people know they can come... We’re not going to question why they’re there. It’s just a free space for them.”
Branch Programming
While there are some similarities across all of EPL’s branches--kids’ programs, for example, are always well-attended, and those at Enterprise Square branch is no exception--Gibson confirmed that community demographics affect program participation. “Some of our partnerships are really popular here,” she explained, referring to some of the events run in collaboration with other organizations in the city. “We have a partnership with Edmonton Catholic Social Services, and they do their LACE program, which is their conversation circle for English language learners, so that is a very popular one.”
Curious as to the success of LACE and programs for ESL individuals, I inquired about the immigrant population frequenting the library. While EPL doesn’t record exact statistics of who visits the library, the 2001 federal census shows that the downtown area houses more immigrants from outside Canada than any other ward in the city. Gibson confidently confirmed that the library sees this demographic: “Definitely. We see a large population of newcomers.”
The new location in Enterprise Square has also boosted LACE’s success: “The U of A has their English language school here as well, so we’re seeing more of an influx because we are, literally, right next door to them, so that’s been a great partnership that we’ve grown since we’ve moved to this new space,” said Gibson.
As of spring 2017, LACE runs every Tuesday at 10am for two hours as a free drop-in program.
LACE is set up in three different rooms to accommodate different levels of language proficiency: one class hosts beginners, the next is labelled for intermediate, and the final class is for advanced learners. Signs advertising the program remain on the room doors at all times, so everyone at the library is informed about when and where sessions are held.
The beginners’ class is consistently the most popular: when I visited, at least twelve people were seated around a table while an instructor pointed to a white board. Despite being a “beginner” class, the attendees seemed to have a passable grasp on the language already--they were discussing the use of the possessive apostrophe when I was around. The rooms set aside for the other levels were emptier; only five or six attended the advanced classes.
EPL hosts other programs aimed toward English language learners as well: “We have a computer club that runs on Tuesday nights that does really well, and it is geared toward English language learners, but that doesn’t mean it’s only English language learners that come. It’s just that we’ve taken pains to make sure that the language is, you know, slowed down a bit and made so that people can easily understand it--which is great for a whole bunch of different reasons.” Those with hearing troubles or learning disabilities might also benefit, or those who simply enjoy taking their time.
Truth and Reconciliation
While attentive to those who are newest to Canada, EPL also focuses on the populations whose roots run deepest: Indigenous peoples. Gibson told me that incorporating the Truth and Reconciliation Mandate is one of the branch’s key goals right now. This is a multi-faceted ambition, including the promotion of Aboriginal print of various genres--from novels to graphic novels to kids’ picture books--as well as several library programs.
Some of the books EPL staff recommend as part of exploring reconciliation include the children’s book When We were Alone by David Robertson, the fictional novel Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson, and the residential school memoir The Education of Augie Merasty by Joseph Auguste Merasty. “We also have an indigenous writing program that we do on Wednesday nights where we invite people to come and tell their stories,” Gibson informed me.
The Elder-in-Residence program is another initiative EPL has undertaken. “We have an elder who is here, not every day, not all the time, but he’s in and out, just to meet with people, and to talk to people in our branch. People who have questions can come up and talk to him,” explained Gibson.
Elder Wilson Bearhead, according to EPL’s website, is “a cultural educator and member of the Wabamun Lake Indian Band in Treaty 6 territory, Alberta.” The program will increase access for “Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to learn about Indigenous culture, traditional knowledge, and receive spiritual support. He will connect EPL with organizations that serve and support Indigenous communities.” Aside from the downtown location, Elder Bearhead will also visit the Abbottsfield Penny McKee branch.
While Exploring Reconciliation is a mandate across all EPL branches, I ask Gibson if the Enterprise branch service more Aboriginals. “It’s so hard to say,” she told me, “but definitely, the downtown core does see a lot of Indigenous people, so we definitely get a large population in our branch.”
Vulnerable Populations
As I spoke with Gibson, she repeatedly mentioned that all EPL’s services are free. This is a great feature for everyone in the city, but the cost-free aspect of library programs may be especially important downtown. According to the 2001 Federal census, over 35% of households in the downtown neighbourhood lived on less that $20 000 a year, and the area had the lowest average household income in the city. This does not include homeless or transient populations in the area.
A warm, welcoming library is an attractive location for the homeless. As a safe place open to all members of the public, EPL branches are ideal for those who need to warm up during the winter months, or those who are seeking some relaxing quiet. As formerly homeless Colin Mulholland explains in an interview with the CBC, the “the library is a natural, because you can come, you can sit. You can read books...I'd pretend to read books, because mostly you don't get enough sleep in the missions. So I'd kind of like fake read and sleep.”
EPL doesn’t ignore these people; it engages them. On my visits to the library, I saw advertisements for services for the homeless population. The library also employs social workers to offer support and guidance, helping people like Mulholland get off the streets.
Gibson mentioned that they do outreach to the various locations downtown, including the Stan Daniel’s Native Healing Center and Pathways Family Services, which works with low-income families.
A Place for Everyone
EPL successfully services all these individuals in the downtown area. However, the Enterprise Square location is remarkable because it serves more than just local residents. Gibson mentions they also see business people who live in the suburbs but come downtown for work. The location in Enterprise Square and proximity to University services also means students frequent the library. More young families are also moving to the area or visiting the library more regularly; one of the key features of the Stanley Milner revitalization project is creating more space for young readers.
Dealing with such a variety of individuals seemed difficult to me. I inquired about the challenges of negotiating the different visitors. Gibson acknowledged there can be complications, but she was eager to label them “fun challenges,” adding that a the diversity encouraged “people to think about things and see things from a different angle.”
Still, not everyone’s convinced. Several comments on EPL’s Facebook page illustrate concerns over the homeless population downtown, and when I first began researching the library, I heard several people complain about homeless individuals in an near the library, often citing safety worries.
“We definitely get those concerns shared with us,” Gibson told me. “We try and justify the fact that this is a public space, that we do have boundaries… and as long as everyone is respectful and using the space well, then we accept anyone to come. And of course, we want to make sure that everyone is coming.” EPL isn’t going to brush off complaints. Security can frequently be found near the library’s entrances, and library staff are always wandering the space and interacting with visitors, easily accessible to anyone who might have a concern. “If there is something happening or a concern that someone has, we will listen to it, and then address it if it is a concern. It’s just about making it safe and open for everyone.”
EPL has always been a safe place for me, and an educational place as well. The library often claims to facilitate education through sharing its books and running programs, but EPL is also a teacher simply offering a place where divergent peoples, worldviews, and ideas congregate peacefully.
Last Updated: June 26, 2017
