The Weyburn Public Library hosted a 50th anniversary barbecue for Southeast Regional Library on Thursday, with around 250 people on hand to enjoy the free hamburgers, hot dogs and cake.
The regional library is hosting the barbecues throughout this year, with 47 full-service branches in place.
Board members for the regional library and for the Weyburn branch were on hand to help with the barbecue, with Bison Avenue blocked off to accommodate the event. Some library patrons received a prize for presenting their library card.
A special guest at Thursday’s event was Robert Porter, son of the first chairman of the Southeast Regional Library, James S. Porter, and he passed on some of his father’s memories as well as sharing some of his own.
He noted that then-mayor Albert Onstad approached his dad to represent Weyburn to the regional library.
Around the time of the organizational meeting held in Estevan in 1966, “I received a call from Mary Donaldson, who was the provincial librarian. Mary wanted me to join her at a meeting to help with possible advertising about a planned regional library, and would I be interviewed on TV? I was literally petrified on all counts, because I had no library training, and had never been before a TV camera,” recalled James, who lives in Calgary and was not able to attend the anniversary event.
“The timing must have been favourable, because it was not long before that phase of development was completed and a librarian was hired who had been about to retire but was interested in helping to establish library branches in an entirely new area,” said James.
Robert recalled that his dad had to go from town to town, and every RM office, as he signed up municipalities to the new regional library with each to pay a certain percentage of the costs to run it. He also recalled that the bond issue “was very divisive”, as people had to vote to add this tax or expense to their municipality’s responsibilities if they signed on to the region.
For his part, Robert noted he was 14 on the day he met the new head librarian, Hilda Collins, in 1968.
“She was from southern California, and arrived to start work in the middle of winter. I distinctly remember Mom, Dad (Jean and Jim Porter) and I went to the Regina airport to meet her, well after dark, and slowly drove her back to Weyburn in quite a blizzard.
“When we arrived at the regional library office (an old supplies building behind the Sask. Mental Hospital), the car assigned for her use would not start, even though it was plugged in. After running the battery down, I remember we then took her to her lodging,” he said.
“That was Hilda’s introduction to southeast Saskatchewan. She was an adventurous character, always cheerful, and always telling stories,” said Robert.
His father passed on one final message: “I congratulate the trustees of this region, who are the representatives of all the city and municipal councils, for their willingness to work together as they have over those 50 years. Just look at what they have accomplished!” he said.
Southeast Regional Library offers a wide variety of online resources including e-books, e-audiobooks, streaming movies and music, e-magazines and e-newspapers. All branches host activities and programs throughout the year such as crafting, book clubs, technology classes, author readings, children’s story times and a Summer Reading Club.
