September is a special time for the Lethbridge Public Library, as staff celebrate Membership Month.
“We invite all the community members to sign up for a free library card or renew their library card, and then they get special, cool swag and get to visit the library and see all the cool stuff that we have,” says manager of customer services Barbara Longair.
She notes free membership is offered year-round, but this month, you can get swag items like stickers, pins, and magnets. Community members can also enter to win a big draw, with the winner getting a sweatshirt and tote bag.
Longair says Membership Month is a Lethbridge-based initiative, adding the library is a special place with not just books, but different services for everyone.
“It’s a place where the community can come and they can explore their passions. They can explore new skills; they can connect with others and some of the really cool things that we offer in addition to books – we have the Toy Library, so parents can come and borrow educational toys and return them, so they don’t have to keep them in their house or buy them,” she remarks.
The Lethbridge Public Library offers a ‘Maker Space’, where patrons can access items like 3D printers and sewing machines for their special projects.
Guests can also check out the ‘Library of Things’. “We have different kinds of items – for instance, an instrument or a game or a crockpot or something like that, that people can borrow free with their library card,” Longair notes.
The ‘BookStop’ was also opened at the Labour Club Ice Centre in January. It serves as a pop-up style library on the northside of Lethbridge.
“We also have gaming cafes so kids can access gaming computers in a safe environment. We have digital resources, so if you can’t make it to the library, you can enjoy 24/7 access to audio books, e-books and all kinds of streaming services,” Longair adds.
The library is set to host ‘The Word on the Street’ literary festival on September 20.
Multiple events are planned for October as well, including a municipal election candidates forum on October 7 and a talk with author Emma Donoghue on October 16.
For more, visit the Lethbridge Public Library website.
