MHPL will be closed on Sundays this summer / Photo: Meghan Cobb

By Meghan Cobb

CLOSED SUNDAYS AND MONDAY NIGHTS

Medicine Hat Public Library reduces hours due to budget cuts

Jun 25, 2022 | 4:20 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The Medicine Hat Public Library (MHPL) will be closed on Sundays in July and August, and has reduced its hours on Monday nights because of budgets cuts.

The cuts were part of the Financially Fit Initiative between 2019 and 2021, reducing the library’s operating budget by $140,000.

“The city was under budget constraints of its own,” says Ken Feser, MHPL Chief Librarian. “We were just like all the other city funded services and departments, everybody got a bit of a hair cut.”

Feser says the cuts were manageable during the COVID-19 pandemic because of public health restrictions and closures, but as things ramp back up, the library had to make decisions on how to save money.

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“We did trim our permanent hours,” says Feser. “Monday nights is probably the most significant. We close at 5 p.m. now and we used to be open until 9 p.m.”

Feser says the decision to close on Sundays and Monday nights came from an analysis that showed those were the times with the fewest number of people accessing the library.

“Sunday’s aren’t busy for us,” explains Feser. “It’s nice weather, kids are off all the time so they don’t have to come in on the weekends.”

Feser says MHPL appreciates the support it gets from the city, citing building upgrades like lighting and elevators. He adds overall, the library has managed the cuts well and is in a good position.

“It would be hard to deal with more [cuts], but of course, we can always do something with more money, too,” laughs Feser.

Feser says the silver lining of the pandemic and the cuts is seeing the support the library has received. He says donations have been up and the public has responded to difficult times with generosity, for which he is very grateful.

The library is currently offering free membership cards thanks to corporate and community sponsors.

“Companies and organizations are paying for library cards for citizens,” says Feser. “We’re really happy about that.”

More information on membership cards can be found on the MHPL website, or by visiting the library.