Steinbach City Council has voted to give the Jake Epp Public Library a one time technology grant of $7,527.

“Public libraries are a long established hub that serve the intellectual, social, and cultural needs of the community,” stated Councillor Damian Penner during Tuesday’s regular meeting.

Penner acknowledged the sorry state of the library’s computers and servers and motioned to provide the library with the necessary funds to update their system. Councillor Susan Penner seconded the motion and it was passed.

“I was so excited when I heard the vote!” exclaims Director of Library Services Carolyn Graham. “Now we can replace things before equipment falls apart and we need to close the library.”

Graham says she was "thrilled" by Council's generosity.

Graham says the library’s server is from 2012 and is becoming increasingly obsolete, likewise, their outdated computers are having more issues every day. She stresses that the library itself runs a tight budget and did not have the resources to fund their own upgrade. Council’s grant came at a time when it was absolutely necessary.

“This means a lot more than merely new computers,” notes Graham, “it means we can provide better service to our patrons and our community.”

According to Graham, the slow computers were not only impeding visitors but were preventing library workers from doing their jobs in an efficient manner as well. 

To Graham, Council’s decision to supply these funds was incredibly affirming.“This definitely gives us the idea that City Council is in support of what we do.”

The grant will cover a new server, 6 news circulation computers, and 4 administration computers. Graham expects most of these upgrades will take place within the month.