Library program wins another award

A library program that gets patrons into the great outdoors was a favourite among voters across Alberta this spring.

The Sheep River Library received the 2015 Minister’s Award of Excellence in Public Library Service for its Sheep River Ramblers walking program after nabbing 16,000 of the 43,000 votes in the new YOU Libraries People’s Choice category.

Gita Grahame, the library’s assistant manager and coordinator of the Sheep River Ramblers, was presented a certificate and glass sculpture at a provincial conference in Jasper last weekend, along with library manger Jan Burney.

“I was very overwhelmed with the support we received by the public,” said Grahame.

“I almost cried when I saw people were voting – people who I didn’t even know knew about it. Apparently, we are acknowledged in the community.”

Grahame said the library applied for the Minister’s Award of Excellence this year, as it had in previous years, of which it won the last two, and encouraged patrons and the public through social media, email and in person to vote for the local initiative.

“We advertised left, right and centre and everybody voted,” she said. “We posted the information on local forums on Facebook and people really, really paid attention and we got overwhelming support. People just sat at their computers voting.”

Since the Sheep River Library initiated the Sheep River Ramblers in the fall of 2013, it received support from surrounding communities with more people signing up consistently, said Grahame.

“It exceeded every expectation,” she said. “I was optimistic and thought we’d have maybe 60 walkers. We have close to 200 people on the list.”

Not only has the program become popular among Black Diamond, Turner Valley, Priddis, Millarville, Longview and even High River and Okotoks residents, but other libraries have also been taking notice, said Grahame.

Following their lead, the Okotoks Public Library initiating a pole walking group and the High River Library purchased snowshoes for its patrons, Grahame said.

“We got phone calls from libraries like Crowsnest Pass, Canmore, Cochrane, Chestermere asking us about our program,” she said. “They want to develop something similar in their libraries. It’s nice to see that our initiative is spreading.”

Each week approximately 20 walkers will get out on a weekly Monday morning walk along the Friendship Trail that connects Black Diamond and Turner Valley, and about once or twice a week on organized hikes in the Kananaskis, Longview or Bragg Creek, said Grahame.

As the coordinator of the program, Grahame often joins the ramblers on their outings – especially on the Friendship Trail.

“Before I started coordinating the program I already walked,” she said. “It’s just my interest walking and hiking. It was a very natural progression.”

The organized walking group has become a hit among several foothills residents, many reaping such benefits as the opportunity to socialize and exercise, said Grahame.

“Some people are lonely and isolated and live somewhere where they wouldn’t get out otherwise and wouldn’t feel safe walking by themselves,” she said. “We socialize a lot as a group, which is a big, big part of the ramblers. It’s nice to see people open up and flourish in this program.”

When the group was initiated, the Sheep River Library applied for and received just under $19,000 from the New Horizons for Seniors Program to purchase the poles, snowshoes and other equipment.

Turner Valley Mayor Kelly Tuck said she is pleased with the hard work the Sheep River Library has done.

“The library does lots of initiatives out there from learning programs to educational programs,” she said. “They just bring in wonderful organizations. What a great initiative to get people up and going. I’m very proud of them.”

Tuck admits libraries are no longer a facility focused on borrowing books, and that a whole lot more goes on in these municipal facilities.

“They’re not traditional libraries anymore,” she said. “They also host movies on the Fridays kids are off school. They are a community organization.”