Cochrane Public Library’s 2024-2026 Plan of Service
Cochrane, AB, October 26, 2023 – Cochrane Public Library (CPL) is excited to embark on a new plan to meet the needs of its fast-growing community thanks to funding from the Government of Canada’s Community Services Recovery Fund.
CPL undertook significant steps to ensure a community-led approach in developing their 2024-2026 Plan of Service – a strategic planning document required by public libraries in Alberta to ensure the Library is identifying and meeting community needs.
Informed by a patron satisfaction survey and numerous workshops with the community, library staff, and board, the new Plan of Service addresses the challenges of increased demand for library services, while working within an undersized facility.
“This Plan is a phenomenal tool to help us continue supporting our residents over the next three years. The feedback clearly indicated that patrons want the Library to act as an inclusive and accessible space, as well as a trusted and collaborative community partner,” said Monique Fiedler-Sills, Library Director of CPL. “It was also apparent that we have outgrown our space and we need to start planning for a new facility that will meet the needs of our patrons.”
Built in 2000, the Library has been in its current facility for 23 years and the space is bustling with activity. “Compared to this time last year our numbers have skyrocketed,” says Fiedler-Sills. “Since going fee and fine free in January, visits are up by 23%, circulation by 13%, and program participation by a whopping 54%. It is exciting and we can’t wait to get started on our new Plan of Service goals, including conducting a Facility Needs Assessment to determine our next steps towards an expanded space.”
Fiedler-Sills credits the Government of Canada’s Community Services Recovery Fund (CSRF) for the financial support required to create their Plan of Service. “We were extremely fortunate and grateful to have received funding from the CSRF to hire the facilitator who led the needs assessment workshops to develop our Plan. The Library exists to serve the community, so we made a concerted effort to ensure this Plan addressed the feedback we received.”
Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children, and Social Development notes, “The projects supported by the Government of Canada through the Community Services Recovery Fund demonstrate that we are a caring and compassionate society that values the well-being of all its members. It is heartening to see the compassion and empathy of our citizens as they give back to those in need. Projects like Cochrane Public Library’s Plan of Service is a testament to the power of our collective action and our ability to come together to make a positive difference in the world. I am confident that together we can make a meaningful impact on the lives of those in Cochrane.”
The Library would like to invite the community to look at the new Plan of Service on its website and pop by this October to celebrate Canadian Library Month. “Come get a free library card and check out all the new programs we launched this fall!” said Fiedler-Sills.