Elk Point to celebrate 75th anniversary with event Friday

A major milestone is being reached in the community of Elk Point this week.

The Elk Point Municipal Library is celebrating 75 years on Friday, inviting families to take part in free hot dog and cake, plus giving away a free comic book to kids.

Daphne Schnurer, library manager, says it means a lot to be running for so long.

“We’re extremely proud of that. They started out quite small. And so we will have some history out at the same time,” Schnurer told Lakeland Connect. “We’ve got a couple of our local history buffs who are gonna help me that day, and they’ve been in the community quite a while, and so they will be have the library history out there. They’re going to have some old newspaper articles out there.

“We usually get quite a lot of interest in that. And so they’re going to be there to help people out and walk through things and reminisce and that kind of thing.” 

The small community based library began with humble beginnings in 1947, growing into its current space many years later.

Offering free WiFi, as well as four computers and two laptops, the library doesn’t just offer a free library card and access to books from across Alberta, but also helps eliminate the digital gaps that rural communities face when needing to access the internet.

They also have Zoom services, a new wrinkle for some to be able to communicate with others online.

“We have a lot more community based services than people realize, so they need to come in and check us out. Our entryway is kind of dedicated to all types of brochures and stuff like that. People that are looking for jobs, how to build resumes, that type of thing. As well as you know, some health advice and stuff like that for seniors. It’s a little bit everything,” said Schnurer. 

In 2020 when the pandemic began, the library began to notice the appetite for porchside deliveries of their materials. So with a committed group of volunteers in each small community, they began bringing their services to people’s front steps, which has become a big success.

“It’s not so much about the book deliveries, I think it’s the porch visits. 

“It surprised us that we also have people in rural areas that are shut in and housebound as well. So we’ve got a great group of volunteers here, and we’ve got in almost every little rural area, so we’ve got it covered.” 

Along with the festivities, details on a 75th anniversary project will also be revealed. Otherwise, the event will dispense with a series of speeches and formal functions, and stick to the fun.

“We decided we just wanted to keep it all about fun. Families, community, and fun. That’s what that day is all about.”