By Shane O'Neill

City ready to take next step in creating its own library system

Dec 6, 2016 | 5:00 AM

Prince Albert is ready to take the next step in establishing its own library system.

To streamline the administrative process, the city of Prince Albert is moving forward with the process to create a new, municipal library. At Monday’s executive committee meeting, city council formally received correspondence from the province confirming their intent to create a new municipal boundary.

Alex Juorio, director of the John M. Cuelenaere Public Library, said the decision has been in the works for some time and every day brings new questions and challenges for the library. When asked if a new municipal library system in P.A. would give residents the same access to collections and books from around the province, Juorio was optimistic.

“No one really knows, but in theory yes,” he said, “no one has really tried this in Saskatchewan.”

In 2015, the city began the process of creating a new public library division by enacting section 4.1 of the Saskatchewan Public Libraries Act (1996). The move, if approved, would officially separate Prince Albert and the John M. Cuelenaere library from the Wapiti Regional Library system.

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According to Juorio, the next step in the process after issuing public notice to more than 80 municipalities and 50 libraries, is to hold a public hearing on the decision. A hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 23, 2017.

Asked how a municipal library would be different for local borrowers and card holders, Juorio said it would be difficult to predict at this time as no municipality in Saskatchewan has yet broken away from a Regional Library system.

“In terms of services that face the public, I don’t think there would be any difference at all,” Juorio explained. “There would still be sharing of materials, anyone from anywhere in the province can walk into any other branch in the province, get a card and borrow books.”

Once the public hearing is complete, city council will have the ability to pass a bylaw creating the boundary for a new municipal library system. The decision will then be left to the minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Municipal Board to approve or deny the application.

shane.oneill@paNOW.com

On Twitter: @stroneill