Almost 20,000 more books were checked out of the Jake Epp Library in 2017 compared to 2016. According to yearly circulation statistics from the library, in 2016 there were 238,001 books checked out comapred to 254,410 in 2017.

Head librarian Carolyn Graham says she's heard books are going out of style but after looking at statistics she knows books are still being read. Graham adds the summer months have shown a 5,000 to 15,000 increase in book checkouts due to the summer reading program.

"Last year we had 700 children register for that and they have obviously read up a storm. The children have read so many books and that is so wonderful because it helps them to maintain their reading levels over the summer."

Graham says reading is just about the only way we access information.

"We do listen to a lot but reading posters, reading newspapers, reading magazines, reading textbooks when you're a student to study. If your reading skills are not optimal it's harder to learn, it's hard to make information part of your life. So, reading skills are so terribly important and I think they always will be."

In 2015 the number of books checked out decreased by 10,000 from the year previous. Graham says, "we do have a bit of a suspicion because we had raised our fines a fair bit, it really impacted the families. So, when we reviewed that and we dropped our fines and made them a more apprachable thing, I think that's really, largely, the result there."

She adds e-books are not taking off the way everyone thought, but they are seeing an increase in the number checked out from the library each year.

Graham says the Jake Epp Library has just over 80,000 books and acquires approximately 2,500 new books each year.