The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) has received accolades for thinking outside-the-box on its library services in Ashcroft.
During the recent Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention in Vancouver, the TNRD and the Thompson-Nicola Regional Library (TNRL) were awarded a Community Excellence Award Honourable Mention in the category of “Excellence in Service Delivery” for the new TNRL Service Extender program at the Ashcroft Library.
The TNRL Service Extender at the Ashcroft Library allows patrons to access the library outside regular staffed hours. It is the first library in western Canada, as well as the first rural library in Canada, to implement this service.
“It was a huge honour and a very proud moment to accept this UBCM Excellence Award for the Thompson-Nicola Regional Library and its ground-breaking Service Extender at the Ashcroft Library,” said TNRD chair and Ashcroft mayor Barbara Roden.
“The extender effectively doubles the number of hours that registered patrons can access almost all the services at the branch, and was developed in-house as a collaboration between library staff, facilities staff, and the TNRD’s IT department.”
Roden noted libraries are at the heart of communities, “and the innovative Service Extender shows how wonderful our library system is at using technology to keep libraries vibrant and thriving.
Qualified library members who are card holders in good standing from ages 15 and up can register for the service at the Ashcroft Library. Registration and approval may take a few days, but once a user is approved they are issued with a code to access the library, where they can return and check out books and other materials, access the TNRL collection and reserve items, use the computer and WiFi, make photocopies, study, and more.
“People are looking forward to checking out the new service extender program locally in Ashcroft and seem excited about trying this new way of using the library. I think they will be pleasantly surprised at what they will find.”
In a short promotional online video and a step-by-step “How it Works” guide on the TNRL website, users can easily learn the process of applying for extender service access, the hours of regular and extended service, and what is available during those hours.
There is also easy access via video call to library staff in North Kamloops, who will be ready to answer questions while a patron is using the library in Ashcroft during non-staffed hours. Community Excellence Awards have been presented during the annual UBCM convention since 2004 and are open to all local governments and First Nation members of the UBCM.
The TNRD has received six UBCM Community Excellence Awards in the past.
UBCM provides the opportunity for local governments in British Columbia to gather annually and share experiences. To learn more about UBCM, visit https://www.ubcm.ca/about-ubcm/who-we-are.