The Estevan Public Library has a great collection of books that appeal to people of all ages. And books still account for the largest share of their circulation.
But people also have audio books on CDs, video games and a large selection of DVDs, documentaries and TV series to choose from.
“It’s just something that may get overlooked that a lot of people don’t usually associate with libraries,” said branch manager Lucas Reid. “It’s interesting because a lot of public libraries these days have substantial DVD collections.”
He knows of many libraries that have taken on the role of the video store as well, except it’s free to rent a DVD or a video game from your local library, as long as you have a library card, which is also free.
“We think that’s really great, because a lot of people can’t afford cable, or they don’t have Netflix for whatever reason, and it’s just another fairly substantial part of our service,” said Lucas.
Audio books, DVDs and video games account for a lot of their monthly circulation, and that number is continuously growing. While the library is limited in the number of materials they can handle, there is still a lot of demand for their services.
Many people are surprised to learn that the library has a large video game selection, since it’s a service not commonly associated with libraries. And they have consoles people can rent.
It’s not just older systems they have; the library orders DVDs and video games each month to keep their selection up to date.
“We do have new titles for essentially all platforms,” he said. “We have PlayStation, Xbox and Wii, which are three of the major console games.”
There are other services at the library. Last year they obtained a karaoke machine that people can borrow. They also oversee the light therapy lamps for people who might be feeling a little depressed during the winter. Those lamps have already received a lot of attention. And they have a 3D printer that has proven to be popular with users.
A virtual reality set can be used at the library.
“Those are just some of the resources that people may not realize that we have, but we do have and we incorporate them into our programs,” said Lucas.
And there are public computers that are available for the public to use, and printing, scanning and faxing services.
The library also has a number of online rental resources, including Hoopla, which offers more books and videos to rent online, and Flipster, which is an online magazine source.
“In the winter time, if people can’t make it to the library, they can still use these services anywhere they have Internet, as long as they have a library card,” said Lucas. “If they needs assistance to help set up an account or how to use the aps, they can always come in and get help from us for those things.”
