Chief librarian accepts new role in Red Deer

By Jeremy Appel on November 7, 2017.

After seven years as chief librarian at Medicine Hat Public Library, Shelley Ross is moving to Red Deer where she has accepted the position of CEO for Red Deer Public Library.--NEWS PHOTO EMMA BENNETT

jappel@medicinehatnews.com @MHNJeremyAppel

Medicine Hat Public Library’s chief librarian Shelley Ross is packing up and moving to Red Deer at the end of the year, where she’s accepted the equivalent job of CEO for its library system.

Ross has worked at MHPL for the past seven years. Prior to that, she was the science librarian at the University of Lethbridge.

“This is like the tour of small cities in Alberta,” she joked.

The biggest change Ross witnessed during her time in the Hat is the growth of e-books and e-magazines, as well as streaming services for music and video.

“E-books were just barely hitting the market in a meaningful way when I started,” she said, adding she’s noticed popularity has peaked, with people returning to physical books once the novelty wore off.

About five per cent of items checked out are electronic, added Ross.

“Overall, the number of books people read or the number of albums people listen to, the overall numbers have stayed the same, which makes sense,” she said.

“People consume things at the normal rate, whether they’re in paper or electronic.”

Looking back at the past seven years, Ross most fondly remembers fundraisers she helped establish, such as the Valentine’s Day party, Love-in the Library and pancake breakfasts around Stampede time.

She’s also quite proud of the library’s renovated theatre, which has its grand opening this month.

“That’s a really nice way to end my career at MHPL, having successful funded that,” Ross said.

As a bigger city, she said Red Deer has a more robust library system than the Hat.

Moving to Red Deer will also provide Ross the opportunity to be closer to her family, which is spread between Red Deer, Edmonton and Calgary.

“It’s perfect in the middle,” she said.

Just as she did in Medicine Hat, Ross intends on involving herself heavily in the Red Deer community.

“I really look forward to meeting all the community leaders, meeting new patrons (and) making all those friends that I’ve so much enjoyed in Medicine Hat,” she said.

“As much as I’m feeling that I’ll miss so many people here, I know that I’ll meet another whole bunch of community leaders there.”