Those who are mobile, educated, and living in established neighbourhoods might easily take the Edmonton Public Library system for granted. For others, it is more difficult to access EPL’s wealth of print materials. Perhaps they can’t leave their home, live in a developing area far from the nearest branch, or have never before used a public library. To serve these residents, EPL must reach beyond its walls.
Report
Enlarging EPL
Whether through mobile vans, lending machines, or outreach programs, Edmonton Public Library reaches beyond its walls to ensure everyone in the city can access its services.
By Janice Vis
Seniors’ Lodges
Seniors’ homes are a common target for EPL’s accessibility services. Elderly individuals with limited mobility have a harder time making it to the library, especially in bad weather, and so EPL partners with homes and arranges to deliver library materials to lodgers.
Participants in this program connect with EPL volunteers, explaining which authors, genres, and formats they prefer. For example, someone might like romances novels, while another might be interested in audio-visual thrillers and crime dramas. Many seniors require large-print books or other reading aids. The volunteers visit once a month to deliver materials aligning with the person’s needs and preferences.
This program has proven quite helpful to some of Edmonton’s elderly; I spoke to one employee at a seniors’ lodge in West Edmonton that has been using the program for fifteen years and has seen a 50% growth in participation. When one individual enjoys the service, they’re likely to tell their friends to sign up as well.
This program is not only open to seniors in special housing. Anyone with mobility issues preventing them from visiting a library for three months is eligible for home service, and can register to have a specialized volunteer deliver library materials to their front door.
Schools and Kids Programs
EPL also reaches past its borders by going into schools.
EPL allows teachers to take their classes on field trips for library tours for free. Library staff also visit schools, presenting on their programs like the Summer Reading Club and YRCA available to adolescents.
One class presentation, “How to be an Information Ninja,” aligns with the Grade 8 social studies curriculum and with research skills more generally. The website describes the presentation teaches students “to critically evaluate websites and search online resources available at EPL and through Alberta Education’s Online Resource Centre (ORC).” With an every-increasing amount of information online, these skills will undoubtedly prove useful to students as they continue to advance their education. While EPL still supplies a plethora of books for study, they are well aware that students are using digital services for academic research.
The library has also partnered with Conseil Scolaire Centre-Nord, Edmonton Catholic Schools and Edmonton Public Schools to send free library cards to students, raising awareness and reaching kids who might not know much about the library or have never had previous experience with EPL.
Downtown Outreach
Katherine Gibson, the associate manager of the EPL’s downtown branch, revealed that EPL’s outreach is a prominent feature of their downtown services: “We visit the Stan Daniel’s Centre every Thursday. We bring out material for them to borrow, [and] we do outreach to places like Pathways, the Royal Alex… AdaptAbilities.” These institutions are set up to help vulnerable populations: the Stan Daniel’s is a Native Healing center for local inmates or those on conditional release; Pathways Family Services works with those in foster care; the Royal Alexandra is a local hospital; Adaptabilities is a charity supporting those with special needs.
Gibson notes they try to “touch base with the people.” Through repeated visits, staff can become acquainted with individuals. Providing books becomes an avenue to personal connection and community-building.
Epl2go Literacy Vans
Edmonton is an expanding city, and while EPL continues to build new branches, it’s not always possible to keep up with new communities popping up. To make sure their services are available to everyone in the city, EPL’s literacy vans extend the reach of the library into community centers, parks, apartments, and even health centres since 2014. These vans also visit locations frequented by the economically disadvantaged, like the Salvation Army. Sometimes they also host programs, such as the popular Sing, Sign, Laugh, Learn for kids three and under.
In the summer months, the vans usually set up outside under large tents. When I visited a literacy van in mid-January, however, it was much too cold to be outside. Instead, the pop-up library partnered with the William Lutsky YMCA to offer a pop-up library at 6:30pm on a Monday night.
I arrived shortly after six to observe the people meandering through the centre, curious if anyone was waiting for the library, but it did not look like anyone was expecting the van.
At 6:20, two ladies began setting up. The pop-up library was ready within minutes. It was smaller than I expected--a single table with three makeshift shelves (one for adult fiction, one for audio-visual materials, and one for children’s books) and a box of toys and gadgets for kids. A small portable scanner allowed materials to be taken out and checked back in. At 6:28, the ladies welcomed their first visitor: a curious child, who was soon playing with one of the tablets available at the booth. Within the first half hour, the ladies had already given out two library cards and explained their presence to several people. Given that EPL visits this location on a regular schedule, I was surprised how many individuals were encountering it for the first time. EPL’s literacy van wasn't only providing services; it was raising awareness.
The audio-visual materials seemed to generate the most attention from visitors, followed by the children's books. The adult fiction was the least popular. I noticed a few people coming specifically to return adult texts to avoid late fees, but most didn’t come to admire EPL’s small selection at the table.
EPL Lending Machines
Lending machines provide access to library materials outside its branches. At the MacEwan University library and Century Park LRT station, these bulky gadgets resemble snack machines, but offer food for the mind instead of the body. Residents can use their library cards to check out anything from the small selection readily available, or can return items in a small slot. However, these lending machines generally carry popular audio-visual materials, and not print.
EPLgo Branches
The Edmonton Public Library currently has two EPLgo branches, one in McConachie and another in the West Henday Promenade. These branches are smaller, compact library locations, and are not intended to permanently fill the needs of the surrounding community, but offer temporary services until a larger branch can be built.
However, in spite of their small size and temporary nature, EPLgo branches are still fully functioning libraries and a valuable asset to the Edmonton's communities. These branches host programs, provide computers, and allow residents to borrow materials. When living in West Edmonton, the Lewis Promenade EPLgo branch served as my home branch. The first time I visited, I was surprised at how few shelves there were, and wondered if perhaps they had not all been set up yet. With little space for materials, would by the library take advantage of every inch? This branch houses only four double sided shelves for books, although there is separate space for holds, DVDs, music, and magazines.
EPL is, however, much more than just a place to pick up books, and EPLgo branches are no different. EPL ensures there is space for programs, comfortable reading or study, and collaboration between people--none of which would be possible if bookshelves crammed the building. Even in their smallest spaces EPL is organized to serve a multitude of needs in the community, including computer work spaces and comfortable seating for both kids and adults. The space is made even more versatile by the fact that many of the shelves (although not all) are on wheels and can be rearranged if needed.
The small space still creates challenges. For example, with no separate program room in the EPLgo branches, programs are conducted in the library open space, creating a disturbance for those who are trying to work or study in peace. Notably, the EPLgo branches to not carry the full range of programs that can be found at other locations.
Many individuals do not come to this small branch to browse the print materials, especially the adult texts. Instead, people use EPLgo to retrieve and check out holds they placed online. In fact, there is more shelving for holds than there is for adult fiction.
City Events
Single-time events also bring EPL outside branch walls, integrating library services into the city. For example, on Saturday, March 15 2017, Westmount Mall partnered with Home Depot to host a birdhouse decorating event. EPL joined the spring celebration with a table of bird books and brought awareness to their services by offering a print-out of their program schedule for that month.
Conclusion
While wandering through an EPL branch, I saw a few signs that claimed "We're bigger than our branches!" After looking into accessibility programs at EPL, I can confidently agree. Whether through programs, events, or miniature branches, EPL meets Edmontonians and serves the city wherever, whenever, and however they can.
Last Updated: June 22, 2017
