City of Surrey 2016 Annual Report

CITY OF SURREY OVERVIEWS SURREY PUBLIC LIBRARY

Surrey Public Library has nine branches, located in the six town centres: Guildford, Fleetwood, Newton, City Centre, Cloverdale and South Surrey, as well as in Strawberry Hill, Ocean Park and Port Kells. The Library collects and loans a wide variety of materials in print, audiovisual and electronic formats. Information Services staff help customers with collections, online databases, eBooks and eAudio, internet sites and other information. Customers can ask questions in person, by telephone, or email. The Library’s website provides links to community organizations in Surrey and to useful sites on the Internet. The library offers a wide variety of programs that support literacy, including story times for children, job finding and career workshops, reading clubs for children and teens, computer literacy classes, services for new Canadians and support for customers with print disabilities. Partnerships with local community agencies help to extend literacy programs beyond the Library’s walls. The Library is a member of the Public Library InterLINK, a federation of 18 library systems in the Lower Mainland that allows citizens to borrow directly from all partner libraries and to return materials at their home library branch. The department has responsibility for the following divisions/sections:

PUBLIC SERVICES Public Services manages the borrowing and information services offered through its nine locations, and plans, promotes and delivers a wide variety of programs. This division also acquires and manages the print and electronic collections to meet the needs of Surrey’s diverse community.

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES Administrative Services manages the physical spaces, as well as the finance, human resources and information technology functions of the Library system, ensuring day-to-day service requirements are met. This division also manages the Library’s external communications and raises awareness and funds to support and enhance its community services.

2 0 1 6 A C C O M P L I S H M E N T S

• Strengthened relationship with the Surrey Pre-trial Centre to provide books & resources to inmates. • Promoted & supported growth of ‘Little

• Completed renovations of Guildford Library to provide a more welcoming fireplace lounge and digital community art display, and refurbished Semiahmoo Library to include improved access for youth. • Improved services for people with visual and perceptual disabilities by promoting access to CELA (Centre for Equitable Library Access). • Supported social & economic integration of newcomers through active participation in Local Immigration Partnership, e.g. hosted Human Library and provided library cards and tours to refugees and newcomers.

• Improved literacy and learning opportunities for children – over 16,000 kids participated in Summer Reading Club. • Offered life-long skills learning through technology training, story times, reading clubs and a variety of programs to many Surrey residents. • Promoted general health through an array of programs & speakers, such as substance use author Michael Pond and financial literacy speakers from the Credit Counselling Society.

Free Libraries’ to improve a sense of community well-being in local neighbourhoods.

• Launched Lynda.com, an online software to support skills development within the workforce. • Partnered with Self Employment and Entrepreneur Development Society (SEEDS) to improve information and networking opportunities for budding entrepreneurs.

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