History of the Library
The Swan Hills Municipal Library Through the Years
The story of the Swan Hills Municipal Library begins in 1970. On June 24, 1970, a group of concerned citizens came to the Town Council to request a municipal library. Soon after, the Council passed by-law No. 221, and a library board was selected.
The library opened to the public on Dec 17, 1970, situated in a building by the old Town Office that was also home to two medical clinics. The new library was run by volunteers, serving a population of 1186 with 519 books and an operating budget of $635. Memberships were $1 for adults and 25₵ for children.
The library moved to 4802 Chalmers Ave in January of 1974. About 13% of the population were using the library at this time. Due to the need for more room, the library expanded into the basement and opened a youth department on October 17. The staff consisted of one hired employee who worked at the library and organized the volunteer help.
In September 1987, Esso Resources donated a mobile trailer as an addition to the library building. With this generous donation, the library could offer a reading and study room, meeting rooms, and still had space left for expansion. Membership was close to 45% of the population at this point, with 10,000 items available to lend out. Two paid employees worked for a total of 35 hours per week.
The library continued to thrive through the next few years with ever-increasing membership and an expanding catalogue. The building was showing its age at this time, requiring frequent and ongoing repairs. After exploring different options, the decision was made to move into the Town Office building's unused space.
The library's held its grand reopening on September 7, 1999. This new location boasted the convenience of being situated on a single floor with a large bright open area along with meeting and programming rooms. All in all, it was well suited to the needs of the community.
The library joined the Yellowhead Regional Library (YRL) in 2000, benefiting from the collaboration of multiple municipal libraries. Membership with the YRL brought access to thousands of books and other resources, internet access, and an automated system to keep everything running smoothly.
The library has continued to increase and update its resource holdings while offering more services to members.
Today the Swan Hills Municipal Library has over 10,000 items available, including hardcover/paperback/audio books, DVD and Blu-Ray movies, and magazines. Through the TRACpac system, library members have access to the combined resources of over 150 libraries, offering over 3 million books, movies, electronic resources, and other items from across Alberta. The convenient TRACpac app allows members to manage their library account and place holds on items from all over the province, right from their smartphone, tablet and computer.