The Okanagan Regional Library board is considering pulling Sunday openings over the winter months at the Salmon Arm branch.
One way of keeping the local branch open Sundays is for the city to pony up an additional $15,000 to fund the staffing costs between October and April.
Our vote, however, is not to have shutdowns on Sundays at all. But that doesn’t mean we are advocating adding more tax dollars to the pot.
It is time for the library system to acknowledge the true realities of people’s lifestyle and open the doors on Sunday, at least during the winter.
How to do that?
Close Mondays instead.
Families with children are important users of the library system, and many working families rely on the service as a low-cost way of educating and enlightening their children.
The library is open Saturdays, which provides a chance for families to check out new materials, however, some of the other business hours are not as friendly to working folk. Most days the library is only open to 5 p.m, which can make it difficult for those with full-time jobs. There are two weekdays the Salmon Arm library is open until 8 p.m., but this can also be difficult to juggle trips, especially with young children in tow.
A Sunday trip to the library could be more leisurely and enjoyable. Sunday shopping has become a reality of our society and we think the library should take a similar step with its service.