MH Public Library adding grab-and-go book borrowing at Big Marble Go
By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on September 12, 2024.
asmith@medicinehatnews.com A new project to bring added library services to the community will see a permanent piece of the Medicine Hat Public Library settled in the Big Marble Go Centre. “The library is very excited about this partnership with the Big Marble Go Centre and the City of Medicine Hat,” says chief librarian Ken Feser. The new presence will be located in the lobby of the BMGC, says Feser, and largely feature a “Read at Home” section, featuring both fiction and non-fiction books from the library’s adult, young adult and children’s collections for patrons to borrow. The collection will operate on an honour system, grab-and-go basis, with no library card required or due dates to worry about; all they ask is for patrons to return the books when they’re done with them. The library at BMGC will also have a selection of Read it Here items like children’s picture books, newspapers and magazines. There will also be activities for children available to take home or help them and their parents pass the time while their siblings are in the pool or on the ice. “We know that our downtown location doesn’t work for everyone and we want to offer more convenient ways to access our collections and services,” said Feser. “This is a great opportunity for us to experiment and find ways to deliver library services in ways that fit community needs and that are sustainable within our existing budget. We are starting small and we will adjust the service over time as we learn what people want.” Staff will begin shelving and stocking the collections at BMGC in late September, with a grand opening celebration taking place in October, which is Canadian Library Month. The date for the celebration will be announced in the coming weeks. 9-8
