Central role in community for Smoky Lake Library

 
By Irene van der Kloet 
 
The Smoky Lake Library is becoming increasingly a hub in the community and surrounding
area. Lise van der Vaart, library manager, talks about the library with passion and enthusiasm
and has been actively promoting programs and making community connections while improving
the library. One of the library’s first activities during the early summer was the Town Wide
Garage Sale they participated in. “We found new homes for eight boxes of books, some DVDs,
Christmas décor, etc. Some people did not even know there was a library in the community.
One person applied for a card, and another requested an application (possibly two more
members). The books were offered for free, but we said we’d appreciate donations and made
$172 this year”, Lise shares. “Our computers needed upgrading. We had some money allocated
for that in the budget, so I have ordered a new staff computer and a colour printer as the old
computer was getting slow. This way, we can serve our community better. We hope to add a
new computer through a grant we applied for”, Lise says. The closing of the old H.A. Kostash
school also has implications for the library but in a positive way. “Programs like Community
Learning Council (CLC) and Family Resource Network (FRN) have moved all their items out of
the old school. We have offered space to store them here – if needed – when they have nowhere
else to go. They can run their programs from here as well, their programs run outside of library
hours, and this will bring more people into our library”. Lise is always thinking of attracting more
people to the library. Before Covid, Emilee Feniak ran the non-fiction book club, but that
program was cancelled during the pandemic. She plans to start it up again. This will also bring
more people into the library during library hours. Elena Jarema will possibly store the Angel
Tree items in the library and use the library later this year for 1-2 days to make the Christmas
Hampers. In addition to these activities, the library has programming during the summertime:
Lego and blocks on Tuesdays, board games and puzzles on Wednesdays, and the Adult Book
Club on the last Monday of the month. There is a “read 15 minutes on Friday”. All readers need
to do is report back “Yes, I did it”. Storywalk will come in from Northern Lights Library Society on
the last weekend in July. Lise keeps an active Facebook page, listing new additions to the book
collection and library activities. The Smoky Lake Library is on 50th Street, next to the County
Public Works yard. Opening hours can be found on the Facebook page of Smoky Lake Public
Library.