By Angela Brown

LLR discusses funding increase at town meeting

Jun 17, 2018 | 1:04 PM

Lakeland Library Region (LLR) gave an update on its services and need for a funding increase when representatives met with the Town of Battleford at council’s recent meeting.

LLR requested a close to nine per cent increase in funding from the town in 2018. The amount has already been included in the town’s budget this year, as the anticipated funding increase was previously discussed at the LLR’s semi-annual meeting in the fall in 2017.

The town confirmed its budgeted funding to Lakeland Library Region for 2018 will be $83,752, compared to the $76,869 billed last year.

New Director Darrell Yates said the organization, which covers 32 library branches in West-Central Saskatchewan, had asked for the funding increase from the town to reflect Battleford’s roughly nine per cent population increase, based on the 2016 Census results released last year.

“We have used the levy-rates historically per-capita,” he told battlefordsNOW, Friday. “That’s the way it has been since the inception of the Public Libraries Act in 1996. The fact that the actual dollar-ask has increased is simply the result of the increase of the population. 

Fond Memories

North Stars' 20-year-olds reflect on junior hockey experience: Part 2

10h ago

Fond Memories

North Stars' 20-year-olds reflect on junior hockey experience: Part 1

Apr 18, 2024

Trades in Sask.

Skilled trades need not limited to building homes

Apr 17, 2024

“The rate itself remained unchanged, but because of the increase in the population some [municipalities] did see some modest increases to the dollar-ask,” he said.

The library services about 70 municipalities, including North Battleford, Meadow Lake and Lloydminster, with a total population of around 81,000. Municipalities provide their share of funding based on population.
The funds cover salaries and acquisition costs for print, digital and other materials for the branches. 

Municipalities pay an additional cost for their individual library building-related fees, such as for electricity and water services, directly to their local branch.

Dennis Taylor, executive committee chair, pointed out during the meeting how most of LLR’s funding comes from the province. But frozen funding from the province over the past five years has had an impact on the organization meeting increased inflationary costs, among other things, Yates said.

CAO John Enns-Wind enquired on any changes in service levels at the library to warrant the added cost.

Yates said the library continues to offer new services, specifically digital, such as a new program called Hoopla for accessing electronic-books and movies. When looking at the amount of programming and attendance, Yates admitted it is “a little bit lower in some areas” than he anticipated for the size of the town. He added the overall circulation for Battleford is “lower than perhaps it should be.”

He said rural Saskatchewan branches have specific needs and their own challenges. Demographics tend to be older, which impacts resource requirements. Yates said the LLR continues to meet these challenges, both to provide for older adults who rely more on printed materials, while still keeping current with a younger population favouring mobile digital technologies.

Overall, the LLR has seen 2,765 new patrons registered in 2017. Digital borrowing amounted to 15.6 per cent.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW