Almost one month into her new role, Sylvan Lake Municipal Library’s new director Caroline Vandriel is settling in well.
Nearly rid of a heavy cold she’s been carrying for the past several weeks, she’s looking forward to “really getting into the swing of things”, and embracing a more hands-on role than she’s used to.
“What I was doing was not really hands-on with the public,” she said, referring to her previous role as public services consultant for Northern Lights Library System. “It was more working with libraries and library staff, and I really wanted a little bit more in the public, dealing with the actual books, with the people and the programming — that sort of thing.”
A successful application in Sylvan Lake saw her appointed director of the library, where she oversees and manages a number of aspects of its operation.
She also acts as something of a “go-between” among library staff and board members, “making sure that we’re represented at the system level, and that library staff here know what’s going on”.
Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she admitted it’s a “dream” of hers to see the library fitted with Makerspace, a space that, according to makerspace.com, is a “community centre with tools (that) combines manufacturing equipment, community, and education for the purposes of enabling community members to design, prototype and create manufactured works that wouldn’t be possible to create with the resources available to individuals working alone”.
Vandriel said Makerspace began as a technology-focused initiative, allowing public access to creative equipment such as 3D printers and audio and video editing systems.
“Now the idea of Makerspace has grown beyond that technological aspect,” she said. “It’s pretty much anything that will inspire creativity in people coming to visit the library, so that when they’re coming to the library, they’re visiting for a distinct purpose, they’re going to do something, they’re going to accomplish something, and it’s not just about books anymore. It’s libraries being relevant in today’s day and age.”
She’s hoping library staff attending a coming conference in Jasper will bring back information about the initiative and how to implement it in their own library.
Makerspace’s growing popularity inside libraries is an indication of a trend that’s seeing them focusing less on books, and more on technology and multimedia. Vandriel acknowledges that libraries’ inclusion of other materials makes them more appealing to a wider audience.
“We don’t want to say the book is dead, but when you think about the library, it should be more than just a place where you go to get books,” she said.
Renovations at the library began in late January, and will see a back wall removed to create more space that will include a programming room with outside access.
According to Vandriel, the room’s construction will allow for after-hours use without the presence of library staff.
The changes will also create larger areas for use throughout the library, with several hundred square feet of space being added as a result.
The library will remain open for the majority of the time construction is taking place, and patrons shouldn’t experience much disruption, assured Vandriel.
Much of the noisy work is completed by the time the library opens in the morning.
“We’ve had walls knocked down, and things are starting to go up,” said Vandriel. “Everything’s progressing and it’s a fun time.”
She added that the library, with the public’s safety in mind, may be closed at some point during renovations, which are expected to wrap up in June.