City of Surrey 2020-2024 Financial Plan

DEPARTMENTAL OVERVIEW SURREY PUBLIC LIBRARY

MISSION STATEMENT We connect people, spark curiosity, and inspire learning.

KEY PROGRAMS & SERVICES

Surrey Public Library (Surrey Libraries) has nine branches, located in the six town centres of City Centre, Guildford, Fleetwood, Newton, 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 online formats. Our READ-Ability home delivery service utilizes volunteers to take reading materials to people who cannot visit a library.

Library staff help citizens find information they need in our branch collections, our online collections, and by referral to other libraries and community organizations. Customers can ask questions in person, by phone, or online. The surreylibraries.ca website provides 24/7 access to the library catalogue, digital collections, and program information. From the website, patrons can download e-books and e-audio books, as well as access a wide selection of online databases, including articles and courses. Partnerships with local community agencies help to further extend literacy programs beyond the Library’s walls. Surrey Libraries offer a wide variety of programs that support literacy, including story times for children, job

Paper Crafts Program

finding and career workshops, reading clubs for children and teens, computer literacy and coding classes, services for newcomers, and support for customers with print disabilities. Surrey Libraries 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 BC OneCard program allows Surrey residents to borrow materials directly from other participating BC public libraries when they are travelling.

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