Starting in January, the Jake Epp Library will once again be open on Fridays thanks to a $58,000 budget increase approved by Steinbach City Council. City Councillor Jac Siemens, who serves as the city’s representative on the library board, says the funding will help restore full operations and support a team already working at capacity. “That means we're going to be back to the regular hours in the past as of January 1,” Siemens says. “I think it’s a really good thing.” Staff and leadership changes strengthen operations Siemens says a growing population and rising costs have challenged the library’s budget. “Over the last four years, there have been about a 40 per cent increase in minimum wage, which affects our library,” he explains. “It does make a big difference to our bottom budget.” Though, a recent staffing addition has made a significant impact on the financial side. “I think the board made a very wise decision when we hired Alyssa to be part of the leadership team here, but she isn't a librarian, she's a business manager. So, she understands the dollars,” Siemens says. “That has made a huge difference for the library because we can look at these numbers, we have a budget that somebody understands and can build for us.” Strategic planning and new goals Library board chair Carolyn Graham says the board is also taking a proactive approach this fall. “The next two Mondays, we are going to spend six hours of our time both those Mondays doing strategic goal planning,” she says. “This has not been done ever, maybe. So, we're looking forward to doing some hard work.” Graham says the sessions will help the board think five to ten years ahead, exploring how to meet community needs in a growing city. Friends of the Library seek new members As planning gets underway, Graham says one of the ongoing needs is for new volunteers to join the Friends of the Library. “That group right now has been there a very long time. They are a marvelous group of people who absolutely love the library,” she says. “But it would be wonderful to have one or two new people, younger people, people that might have young children, to give that perspective.” The group meets monthly and helps the library access grants and fundraising opportunities that fall outside of municipal funding. Looking toward expansion Graham says the board will also be thinking about how to grow the library’s space in the years ahead. “Obviously, we're going to have to talk expansion again. The place is full,” she says. “We continuously weed out old books that aren't current, but we can't keep up with the growing population.” She says future planning will include exploring funding partnerships and possible regional collaboration. “The city no way can give us all the money we want for all our dreams,” she adds. “So, it's also looking for outside grants from other places.” Siemens says that it was surprising to think expansion might be needed, but after seeing the building fill up with books and resources, he agrees it’s time to consider next steps. He adds that projects like this take time, careful planning, and research before they can begin.