Lethbridge Public Library card sign-up ‘best deal in town’

By Cal Braid - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on February 10, 2023.

February is card sign-up month at the Lethbridge Public Library, and the library is offering perks to do just that. Aside from the benefits of having access to an almost unlimited variety of books— improved fluency and communication skills, opportunities for learning, and personal enjoyment — the library offers other programs and services as well. The first step to walking through those doors of opportunity is to sign up for an activated card.
Elisabeth Hegerat, manager, community and economic advancement said, “library card sign-up month for us is a time where if you either come in and sign up for a new card or if you renew your existing library card, we have some fun prizes going on. Anybody who renews their card or gets a new one will get a small prize right there on the spot and be entered into a weekly draw for some bigger prize packages.” She said that draw winners can expect to get a “very nice library bag with some swag in it.”
Once a week, they’ll be drawing for a swag bag for each age category—children, teens, and adults. The adult bags will contain coffee donated by Cupper’s. All the bags will include other treats and naturally, the prize packages will include book giveaways. Once a card is obtained, the cardholder is automatically entered into the draw. Library staff will be popping up at community tables over the course of the month, encouraging sign-ups and promoting the library’s services.
In the past, library users were charged a nominal yearly fee to renew their cards. Now there’s no financial barrier whatsoever for signing up. “It’s the best deal in town, because our library board has just approved free cards for another year,” Hegerat said. If a user is unsure about the status of their card, they can check it in-house at the library, online by signing in with their card number and PIN, or by using the app.
Cardholders have access to interlibrary loans, public computers, children’s activities, physical literacy equipment, a toy library, and weekly movies with popcorn for adults at both the westside and downtown branches. March and April will feature spring-break drop-in fun, and the westside branch will be running a STEAM club (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) for kids 5 and up.
“There are always teen programs going on as well,” Hegerat said. “Whether it’s video games, board games, or a teen book club.” A vinyl sale will happen at the end of March. Additionally, the children’s department at the downtown branch has started a sensory browsing hour first thing Saturday mornings with the lights turned down in a low-noise area.
For all things library-related, visit http://www.lethlib.ca. “We’d love to see all of your faces,” Hegerat said.

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