The Okanagan Regional Library (ORL) Board of Directors met on Wednesday, September 16 to review the draft 2016 budget put forward by the Finance Committee.

Stating that the budget’s goals are to maintain conservative budgeting within a cost-of-living range, the 2016 budget calls for a 1.98% increase. Half of the increase would fund negotiated wage increases for staff, while other increases are related to higher rents and utilities, and higher book and eResource costs based on inflation and the effect of the lower Canadian dollar. The budget increase also covers the cost of moving furnishing purchases into the regular ORL levy. Currently, these are funded by local government in a separate process; ORL Board asked for further clarification about how such a policy would work to be provided at the next meeting.

After the formal Board meeting, directors participated in a strategic planning session that included a presentation by Ken Roberts, former CEO of the Hamilton Public Library and member of the Royal Society of Canada’s Expert Panel on the Future of Libraries and Archives in Canada. According to Roberts, libraries around the world are experiencing a critical shift “from information to imagination, from consumption to creation, and to increased collaboration”. His research indicates libraries are becoming places where people connect with technology, can create music, video, or texts, work away from home, collaborate, study, and gather as communities. While libraries still have a strong role in promoting reading and literacy, statistics show more items are circulating online, which can free up space for new activities.

Public input will be sought to hear what is most important to the ORL communities and the new strategic plan is targeted to be complete by February 2016. The next ORL Board meeting is scheduled for October 21.