According to Jeri Maitland, executive director of the Nan Boothby Memorial Library, the Cochrane library is in need of an increase to its per capita spending in order to keep in line with comparable communities in the province.
While council has offered a funding increase of two per cent, Maitland said that would result in a decrease of per capita spending, considering Cochrane’s population growth.
Currently at $19.41 per person, the two per cent increase in funding would result in an overall decrease – to $18.20 per person in 2017.
As the library staff is unionized, their collective agreement includes a mandatory 1.25 per cent wage increase in the new year – which would eat up more than half of the two per cent.
“What we are asking for is not ridiculous,” explained Maitland, adding the requested $575,450 for operations would bring the per capita spending up to $22.88.
The goal is to bring funding up to $25/capita, which the board believes would be possible at a roughly five per cent increase per year for the next four years.
“That would bring us up to a mid-range conservative ask.”
Comparable communities include Airdrie ($22.96 per capita); Spruce Grove ($27.27 per capita); and Okotoks ($21.98 per capita).
Banff comes in at $46.15 per capita and Canmore at $51.35 per capita. Both communities have demonstrated very strong support for their libraries.
If increased funding is not provided, there is a potential that the library would have to close on Sundays.
