The Thompson-Nicola Regional Library is located in downtown Kamloops.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ TNRL

Stepping into a public library is a lot different than it used to be.

There was a time when public libraries were quiet spaces that smelled of a thousand old books, where librarians would hover about shelving things, printing spine labels and telling people to be quiet.

Libraries relied on card catalogues to keep track of the books and if you had an overdue book, you’d get an automated call to your home phone to remind you to return it.

One could sign out audiobooks on cassette tapes packed with picture books in plastic bags or borrow VHS tapes. There were huge clunky public computers for searching databases, playing games and printing resumes, and pads of paper with little pencils around for taking notes.

Today’s libraries are lively community hubs brimming with easy-to-access resources. 

“It’s not your grandmother’s library anymore,” Thompson-Nicola Regional Library interim chief librarian Jenny Abramzik told iNFOnews.ca. The regional library system as 13 branches through the region including a mobile library.

“We have programs for all ages to come to. You can book meetings room for free and study and do teleconferencing or chat and network on your own. We have games like Dungeons and Dragons and Nerf gun battles for kids.”

Abramzik said technology has changed by leaps and bounds over the past two decades. There's self checkout now, and internet access so people can bring in their own laptops. There are library apps people can download for free to search catalogues and make holds, and online data bases to for doing genealogy searches.

“Our collections have changed in the last 20 years,” she said. “While the bulk of our circulation is still physical books, there's been a huge rise in e-books and audio books, and magazines. The magazines are free through the library and it’s instant access on an app you can find through your library card.

“We have a couple of platforms for streaming videos you get on demand through your library card. Those are popular.”

The public library even loans out things like radon detector kits, vehicle scanners, recreational supplies like pickleball sets, and instruments.

“We want to find out from the community what is wanted, whether it be a digitization station where they can digitize old films and VHS or recording equipment,” Abramzik said.

Okanagan Regional Library, which is headquartered in Kelowna, is one of the biggest public library systems in the country with more than 30 branches. Some of the services the library offers include an audio recording studio, video recording equipment, a laser cutter, digitization stations, vinyl cutters and 3D printers.

With all the activity happening in public libraries nowadays, there are security officers onsite at many of the more urban locations.

“We want to welcome everyone but we have to keep it a safe and welcoming space,” Abramzik said. “So if you’re causing a problem we’ll ask folks to leave for the day.”

She does get complaints from the public about the noise levels in the libraries from time to time.

“Some people are concerned but we do our best to set up areas that are naturally more quiet and areas that are louder," she said.

Go here for all the Thompson-Nicola Regional Library branches and services.

Go here for all the Okanagan Regional Library branches and services offered.

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