Stettler Public Library

The Stettler Friends of the Library Society had become stagnant over the last few years, with no new ideas and just doing casinos and book sales. That changed in 2018-2019 when a member discovered the wine survivor fundraiser and the Stettler and District Board of Trade were looking for a group to take over the Historic Ghost Walk. The 2018 Christmas Wine Survivor was a roaring success and the Historic Ghost Walk has brought people and money to the Stettler Public Library. This session will focus on the Christmas Wine Survivor and Historic Ghost Walk events and the learning curves that the Stettler Friends of the Library Society has experienced along the way.

This PowerPoint is from a presentation at the 2019 ALC Conference in Jasper.
Rural library staff and their trustees too often doubt the impact that they can make with their limited resources.  They may not dream big enough, or they might play it safe because they are afraid of failing.  Conference sessions aimed at libraries of all sizes may not speak to rural library staff and trustees, because they often deliver library services with reduced access to resources (e.g. a lack of space, time, staff, money, volunteers and/or community members). Exploring the factors that have led to successes at some of Alberta’s littlest libraries, this session will share strategies that little libraries can use to build success in their own communities.  The presenters will be conducting a survey of small rural libraries, and will interview high-performing rural libraries to discover the secrets of their success.