A new way to enjoy the Whitecourt library

In a typical year without COVID-19, the Whitecourt & District Public Library would be full of children enjoying the Summer Reading Program. Attendance numbers for the seasonal event have steadily grown over the years, with hundreds of participants taking advantage of the free fun. This year, things are different as restrictions removed the possibility of gathering in large groups and being in proximity to each other, which are both significant parts of the program.

This year’s event is less in-person and more virtual, but the great news is that it is still happening! Library staff, lead by Director Joseph Kubelka, created an immersive program that gave children the best possible option in a restrictive world. The first step was to create an online form and allow patrons to sign up for the various age groups. “We ended up having 117 forms come in. Each form could either have an individual for one program or, for most cases, it would have an entire family on there. In total, we had 203 people register for our summer program,” said Kubelka.

That is roughly half of what they would typically get, which, given the profound change to the delivery model, is positive. “One of the new things we did this year was a partnership with the Mental Health Capacity Building (MHCB).” The partnership enabled the library to offer a Family Walking Program. “Every week, there is a theme, and people meet on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in the small pavilion by the playground at Rotary Park. MHCB staff guide them through a craft and take them on a walk.” Roughly a dozen people have been taking part in that part of the program. “Through this new partnership, we were also able to provide beautiful kit bags. We provided most of the materials that people would need for all of the crafts, and we put it inside totes with both of our logos on them.”

Kubelka said that those taking part picked up their bags at the start of the program and that attendees utilized links for ZOOM meetings to watch the crafts. “If they missed it, they could watch recordings on our Facebook page.” As for the biggest challenges faced by staff, Kubelka said that technology and administration time were at the top of the list. “There were all kinds of issues designing the form, redesigning it, following up on entries that were missing, and then sometimes an email would end up in someone’s spam folder, and we would have to call.”

He said that staff had to learn how to create and deliver online programs, which took more time than in-person programs. “We had to convert our program room into a mini recording studio. It has a green screen, a mic, and a projector. Two people run each program. Some of our stuff was pre-recorded by our partners, which was a bit of a learning curve.” The green screen ended up being an excellent addition to the fun. “We can put an image behind ourselves as we are presenting and recording. With people not being here in person, they are not as immersed in the environment, and the green screen helps us make the program more immersive.”

Feedback so far now that they are about halfway through the Summer Reading Program has been incredibly positive. “People are enjoying the programs and enjoying the flexibility of catching up on things they’ve missed. That’s one benefit we normally would not have.” Kubelka said that providing little videos was also a bonus. “Instead of having someone say things and then do a craft, we can insert recordings. For example, we have our library pet, Francisco, and we have videos of him eating his lunch, which is sponsored by Global Pet Foods. We can include those videos as part of that program.” He said that being able to match the theme of each week with whatever background they want is an added benefit.

Going forward, Kubelka said that they plan on keeping the online registration even when they can once again offer in-person programing. “It needs to be redesigned, but that part was nice, and I think that people appreciated that flexibility.” For those wanting to head to the library these days, the experience is a bit different. The hours are different, and it is not a very social place. “We ask people to get in and get out. We do not have in-person programs, and we have stored our furniture and toys. These steps are to minimize risk and reduce the number of people in the building.”

“We don’t have as many available public computers because they are socially distanced. On the plus side, we have waterproof, medical-grade keyboards and mice. They are literally dishwasher safe. That helps us with cleaning and keeping things sanitized.” Kubelka said that another substantial change is that everything people touch, gets cleaned. “We have tables at the end of each aisle that has signage. If you pick up a book, but you do not take it home with you, instead of putting it back on the shelf, you leave it on the table, and we will clean it.”

Masks are not required, but sanitizer is available and encouraged. Coming next month, Kubelka said there would be a new TRAC app that will allow patrons to use the library in a whole new way. “People are going to be able to place holds and manage their accounts through their smartphones. That will include contactless pick-up.” He said that once someone puts a hold on a book that the app will notify them that it is in Whitecourt. From that point, it will be just like a drive-thru. “You’ll be able to drive up to the library, let us know you’re here on the app and someone will come out and bring you your stuff.”

The regular TRAC system is back up and running as of last week, but Kubelka warns that it could be a bit slower than before. “Usually we have a few pages of holds in a day and the first day it opened there were 52 pages of holds. That’s six or seven times what you would normally see in a day.” Residents are encouraged to follow the Whitecourt & District Public Library’s Facebook page to keep up to date on hours and the new TRAC app. Kubelka said that they would put program information up on the page too. “Regardless of what happens, we will continue to offer programs. If we can’t offer in-person programs, then we would keep up the same model as now with handing out a kit and following that up with an online program.”