The Westlock Municipal Library is trying a new approach to reach out to the community, teaming up with the Pioneer Museum and the Canadian Tractor Museum to offer free entry to both facilities Sept. 3.
As part of ongoing efforts by the library to raise awareness of the benefits of having a library card, the collaboration allows people who might use the library, but have not visited either museum a free chance to do so. It also offers an incentive for people to get a library card, which costs $20 a year for an adult, $30 for a family and $10 for a senior.
“It helps introduce kids and their families to the community. We’re getting our name out there and helping the Tractor and Pioneer museums while we’re at it,” said library director Lisa Old.
Visitors to the Tractor Museum will be treated to a new exhibit, a combine with the outer layers removed, allowing people to see how it works.
While new technology like the Internet makes traditional library activities like reading, watching movies and researching papers easier to do at home, modern libraries are finding new and interesting ways to stay relevant.
People without access to certain technology, such as a computer or a 3-D printer can make use of facilities at the Westlock Library, but having a library card now allows a user to borrow any digital or physical book from anywhere in Alberta.
Digital books automatically return themselves after 30 days and physical books can be dropped off at the library and will be returned to their original location.
A library card also provides free access to a number of online services, including PressReader which allows you to read over 2,000 newspapers from around the world, and will even translate them for you, or Hoopla, which provides free access to movies, e-books, comics, music and television shows.
Research has always been the greatest gift of libraries and today a library card provides more access to learning than ever.
Anyone with a Westlock Library card has free access to Pronunciator, an online language learning tool, as well as EBSCOhost - an academic research database. Cardholders also have access to the online learning tool LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com,) where they can learn programming, graphic design, photography, management and much more.
“It’s absolutely the best piece of plastic in your pocket. It gives you access to so much,” said Old.
“Your credit card is pretty limited to how much money you have on it, but a library card can give your entire family access to all of these resources.”
