The public seems to still be on the side of the Southeast Regional Library in their efforts to retain government funding.
More than 100 people gathered in front of Estevan MLA Lori Carr’s office during the noon hour on Friday for a Drop Everything and Read rally. Library supporters of all ages read a book while standing or sitting on the sidewalk or on the grass next to Carr’s office.
Other people brought signs to show their support for the library.
Carr said she has received more phone calls regarding regional library funding than any other issue since the budget was released last month.
“It is a fairly significant amount of their budget,” said Carr. “These people are very passionate about their libraries and what they do and the services they provide, and they don’t want to see any of that gone or lost.”
Carr has met with Kate-Lee Nolin, who is the new director for the Southeast Regional Library, and James Richards, the regional branch manager, regarding the regional library’s budgeting process, the interlibrary loan system and the Single Integrated Library System (SILS), which has been discontinued due to the reduced funding.
Carr said she learned a lot from that meeting. She also attended the Southeast Regional Library’s annual general meeting on Saturday in Weyburn.
And she spoke with some of the people who were at Friday’s rally.
The regional libraries provide a great service to so many people throughout the region, she said, and Carr doesn’t want to see their future put in jeopardy. She believes the regional libraries should see a funding reduction, since other organizations are receiving less money.
“But have we gone too far? As soon as we present all of this information to the ministry, I guess we’ll find out.”
North Portal resident Emily Gillies was reading a book, Abandon Me by Melissa Febos, which she obtained from the Saskatoon Public Library through the SILS program. She lamented the demise of SILS.
“We order books (from other libraries),” she told the Mercury. “It’s simple. You get an email, and it’s the best service, and we’re going to be really sad to lose that as a family.”
Gillies 10-year-old son is in the midst of a novel series, but now he doesn’t know how he will secure the remaining books. She doesn’t live near a book store with a lot of selection, and books can be expensive.
“My son won’t be able to read these large series of books that he does,” said Gillies.
Her eight-year-old son is also an avid reader.
Estevan Public Library children’s program co-ordinator Victoria Utman was thrilled to see so many people in attendance. She passed around a petition that asked the provincial government to restore the lost funding.
“We are speechless with how much support you guys have given us during this difficult time,” said Utman. “We really value what we do and what we stand for in our small rural branches in the Southeast Regional Library.”
Estevan Public Library board chair Phil Zajac admitted that he was “amazed” by the turnout.
“I think the support that we’re seeing from the community, from little kids to seniors who have come out today, is dramatic,” said Zajac.
Zajac said the Estevan Public Library is promoting the services they have to offer the public, while urging the government to rethink some of the cuts.
“This is a provincial, public service that is available to everyone for free,” said Zajac. “When times are tough, it is nice to have that ability to (access free services). Maybe you can’t afford the Internet anymore, so now you can go to the library and use computers with Internet access.
“If you do have to look for a job, or something like that, you have that ability, where if the services are cut to the library due to funding cuts, you can’t use that.”
The Estevan Public Library offers more than a program per day, he said, and they are accessed by people of all ages. These programs are not just limited to literary activities, either.
While the cuts to the Southeast Regional Library won’t have a direct impact on the library’s staff numbers or building, or many of the programs they offer, it will still have a big impact on many of the library’s other services.
Cathy Sproule, the opposition New Democratic Party’s finance critic, was in the southeast the day of the rally. She made an appearance at the rally before heading to Bienfait for the annual general meeting of the South East Saskatchewan Surface Rights Association.
Sproule said the library funding cuts have been a frequent source of frustration for people she has talked to since the budget was released.
“It’s a bit of a lightning rod, because it affects everyone equally,” said Sproule. “But there’s a number of different things.”
Sproule said they support the grassroots initiatives taking place across the province regarding the library cuts, and the party’s education critic, Carla Beck, has been challenging Education Don Morgan on the issue.
