The Peace River Municipal Library gave a presentation at the Peace River Town Council Meeting this week.
The presentation was led by Library Director Channing Stenhouse, who was accompanied by Board Chairperson Johanna Downing.
2021 saw a slight downturn in numbers due to the pandemic.
Over 18,000 people still walked through the doors, while over 19,000 visited the website.
More than 35,000 items were checked out.
In-person programs for children & adults are also a big part of what the library has to offer. Over 4500 people attended these programs.
The hope is that 2022 returns to pre-pandemic numbers, and so far since the restrictions were dropped, things appear hopeful.
Stenhouse also shared some of the pandemic challenges and successes.
Challenges included forced closures, staff shortages, safety protocols & public compliance, and maintaining morale.
Successes included the Grab & Go Service, No More Late Fees, Take-Home Games, The 1st Annual Book Sale, Free Little Libraries, Community Story Walks, and the 2021 Library Olympics.
The Library Olympics ended up being a great morale booster for staff, which they shared with other libraries in the Peace.
One of the highlights was trying to quickly shelve books while keeping a balloon afloat.
When it came time to talk finances, the report revealed that no increase in budget is needed.
The Peace River Municipal Library will once again ask for $356,000 in town funds, which is the same requirement since 2019.
The entire budget for 2022 calls for $436,076 in balanced income and expenses.
Stenhouse & Downing also thanked council for the sports grant they received to put on the free bowling & activities day at Tapped Out Gaming & Entertainment, which ended up being an enormous success from start to finish.
-Damien Gnass, Trending 55 Newsroom
