Leduc County - Negotiated Request for Proposal - New Sarepta Library Feasibility

Leduc County has partnered with the Leduc County Library Board in evaluating the feasibility of providing a community library service outside of the school setting. The current community library is housed in the high school in partnership with Black Gold Regional Schools. Although a cost-effective model, this partnership can provide limitations to the services offered by the library and the willingness of residents to access supports within a school setting. The library board and the County wish to fully evaluate the cost of, and possible benefit of, providing this service outside of the school. Uniquely situated on the East end of Leduc County, New Sarepta is a key service centre for residents. It is home to two schools, local business and a major recreation centre that includes ice users, social events, fitness and seniors programming. Although a key service point for the County, we are also aware that Leduc County residents have choices in accessing services due to the close proximity of other communities in the region. A key component of this project will be in determining the library service area of the New Sarepta district and using this information to understand the current and future benefits of a stand-alone library in the community. In addition to cost, it will be important that we evaluate the benefit and any negative consequences of this change in service. Understanding the current need for service, future demands and trends of libraries and the interests of all residents in libraries will be valuable. We are focused on our service provision today but also preparing for tomorrow and into the future. This project will be led by Leduc County but includes community volunteers from the library board as we work together in a shared interest in understanding the needs of residents. A budget of $26,000 has been set for this project.