The local library is continuing to see numbers grow with the COVID-19 pandemic in the rear-view mirror.

Director Jen Kendall was invited to attend the Rotary Club of Portage la Prairie’s December 6th meeting, where she spoke on how the library has been doing throughout 2022. She says they’re doing exceptionally so far.

“We're seeing a lot of repeat people coming to programs and seeing increased attendance at those as well,” explains Kendall. “We're also doing really well when it comes to our outreach and fundraising.”

While the majority of numbers have been on the rise for the library, the director adds that the circulation of their books hasn’t been able to return to pre-pandemic numbers. Despite this, she notes the library is still about 20 percent up from last year.

“People are coming back, but not quite at the levels they were before the pandemic,” explains Kendall. “It's just a matter of reaching out to people, letting them know that we are there and we have all sorts of items for them and that we want to see them”

Kendall believes that one of the attributing factors to the slight decrease in some categories is that people are more aware of illnesses now than ever, due to COVID-19. That’s led to people not attending certain events put on by the library out of caution.

As 2023 approaches, the director is planning to focus on adding additional language materials, as well as a few more necessary upgrades to the building, such as adding security cameras and changing the layout of the building to make things easier to find.

Related Stories