Portage la Prairie Regional Library Director Jen Kendall has been in the role for almost two years now after having started in April of 2021. She looks back over this past year with some changes she'd made for local bookworms.
"We moved the junior area up to the front of the library and we've gotten a lot of good feedback on that," says Kendall. "Then we managed to takedown the DVD racks that were blocking the washrooms and those entrances, and open that space there so we could expand our computer section, and add some more quiet study tables there."
She says that's been well-received.
"Where the junior section used to be, I added some armchairs and a little electric fireplace just for a cozy reading area to get everybody nice and comfortable in the library again," continues Kendall. "People do give suggestions. We have suggestion forms at the front desk, or people will e-mail either the library or myself. We do a lot of surveys to get patron feedback, but when it came to moving the junior area, that was just something that I was trying to figure out. It was a really small, compressed area before. I, one day, realized that we could just move it up to the front there and it would fit perfectly. So, it's a little bit of both with some experience and some way in which to incorporate feedback when we get it."
Kendall explains plenty of technology has been offered to patrons.
"We upgraded the patron computers, but we also have technology lending library thanks to Community Building Youth Futures," notes Kendall. "They were sponsors for that. So, we have laptops. We have microphones and smartphone gimbals that people can borrow from the library. We also have the radon detectors, which has been wildly popular, and it was kind of the pilot program for Manitoba and the library."
She says she's been doing a lot of work with Manitoba Lung and CARST (Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists).
"I've been working with them, so we can figure out how to make it efficient and easy for other libraries to be able to do this, as well," adds Kendall. "It's been hugely successful. We have eight of them and they come in very briefly. And then there's another hold and they're right back out the door, which is exactly what I'd like to see."
She thinks it's the first program for a library of its kind in Manitoba.
"I did a similar program in Alberta," says Kendall. "They do it in Alberta and Nova Scotia, so it just made sense to see if it would have success here, and it did. There are a few future ideas. We're looking at adding different things such as different types of E-Readers," says Kendall. "We did get some Kindles, but they're not as helpful with Libby (a service available to loan e-books and audio books electronically). It can be tricky to use it, and you still need to use an intermediary device sometimes, but we're looking at getting different devices."
Kendall says a board game lending library is also being planned.
"People can come and borrow board games, which will be exciting," adds Kendall. "But we're just kind of seeing what people want from us next and where we can go with that, because a lot of these items aren't necessarily either easy to find or cheap. We want to make sure that it's going to be well-used before we add it to the collection and make it big to do over."
She explains she applied for some grants to acquire more shelving for the adult fiction section in particular.
"We're going to assess the layout of that and try to make it easier to navigate," continues Kendall. "We've already started it. Notice that some of the series have numbers, and they're colour-coded, so you can tell visually what each series is and what order it is, without having to check on your phone or do anything. It just makes it easier for patrons and staff to get everything in the right place. That's one of our big projects we started a few months ago. That will probably go until the end of 2023. We're just making sure everything's in good condition, easy to find, and well laid out. That's kind of where I see the rest of the collection going with through 2023."
Kendall adds she really likes it here.
"It's challenging in a good way," says Kendall. "It's nice to have things that I can actually do and sink my teeth into. I love painting, so I get to paint some new walls every year and leave a little bit of myself here. I do think the community's just been very great and welcoming, and I do really enjoy it here. I have a wonderful team, so I'm here to stay."
