Provincial funding for libraries to be announced in fall budget

By Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean Times Contributor

Despite dire headlines about library funding being cut from the Government of Alberta budget, government spokespeople say some funding has been approved and the overall budget is still under review.
“Library funding hasn’t been cut,” stated Minister of Municipal Affairs Kaycee Madu on Twitter. “In order to ensure libraries have the resources they need to get through the interim period, funding has been approved so they can obtain 50 per cent of their operating grants before the budget is finalized.”
Interim supply was also granted under the NDP government in 2015 when the newly elected party did not release their first budget until October of that year. Alberta’s budget under the recently elected UCP is also expected to be tabled in October of this year.
Meanwhile, the report from the Blue-Ribbon Panel appointed by Premier Jason Kenney to determine areas where spending can be reduced is set to release their report to the government on Aug. 15. The Premier said during a press conference on Aug. 7 that the report would likely be released for public review after Labour Day weekend once they had time to review it themselves.
“We’ve been elected to grow the economy, but we’ve also been elected on a mandate to bring balance back to the province’s finances that will require a period of fiscal restraint,” the Premier stated.
Libraries all over the province work with very lean budgets. In Wheatland County, five of the six libraries operate on a part-time basis. Strathmore and Standard municipal libraries are open more than the surrounding areas at six and four days per week, respectively.
Each library in the county offers computers with internet access, inter-library loans, and many offer children’s programming.
Wheatland County area libraries already faced a possible cut earlier this year when Wheatland County council voted in April to discontinue funding. Council changed their minds in May after hearing from the public and were able to provide $45,765 from their library reserve fund.
“We were very thankful that funding was maintained,” said Miranda Johnson, interim director of the Strathmore Municipal Library. “Public libraries have a very good return on investment for communities.”
Provincial funding makes up about 16 per cent of the library’s operating budget.
Johnson said the library does not currently have a donor program like Friends of the Library but they are looking into them.
“We are grateful to all of our donors and sponsors in the community and also for the funding grants we receive from the governments,” said Johnson.
Staff at the library were also pleasantly surprised to receive around $650 from MP Martin Shields and Chestermere-Strathmore MLA Leela Aheer. The two elected representatives held a hot dog fundraiser for the library at Kinsmen Park during the Strathmore Stampede.
The library also holds fundraisers itself.
“We had an online auction recently and we will be having another again soon,” Johnson said. “We also hold regular paint pouring art classes that have a fee and those funds are used to help fund other programming.”
Strathmore library events are posted on the library’s Facebook page as well as on the Town of Strathmore website. Family memberships are $20 and include access to computers, movies, books, inter-library loans, online newspaper subscriptions, LYNDA’s learning e-courses and much more.