History of the Beaverlodge Public Library

The Beaverlodge Public Library was created in 1940 as a project of the local Elks club. At the beginning, the library consisted of boxes of books hosted by a variety of stores in Beaverlodge. Later it was taken over by the IODE and found a home in the basement of the local community center.

In 1974, during the 100th anniversary celebrations of the RCMP, the library received a grant to help build its own facility and purchase some equipment. From that day on, the library was known as the Beaverlodge RCMP Centennial Library.

Over the years, the building has been remodeled and expanded to house a growing collection. The librarian is proud of the fact that the library has such a diverse collection. Of course the varied collection, now nearing the 30,000 mark, makes space demands on its facility.

We are a small town library serving a population of 1,999 people. We have a collection of 26,759 resources and an annual circulation of 55,044. Not bad for a smaller library! But, what about access to online information and the Internet? What abut regular collection upgrading? What about the newest resources, like CDs and DVDs?

The role of the library has to expand to satisfy the growing needs of the era we live in.

As the community evolves so must the collection. We need to take steps today to make sure we stay ahead of the game.

We work hard to bring the same quality of library services to our Beaverlodge and area residents that urban residents enjoy.

Today with increased technology and the demands for information, community needs for a public library are paramount.

written by Linda Senenko, head librarian