The Sheep River Library is celebrating a major milestone this month.
To mark the library's 40th anniversary, activities are planned at the branch in Diamond Valley on Saturday, April 29 from 1 to 4 p.m.
Library manager Jan Burney said there will be something for all ages, including musicians, magicians and demonstrations.
Cake and refreshments will be served and door prizes will be up for grabs, including a trail ride, golf, cash, book bags and pool passes.
“There’s some quite nice prizes,” Burney said.
Participants can complete the “stamping around challenge” for an extra opportunity to win a prize.
“If they go around all the areas in the library that are on the card and get a stamp, they can go in the draw again,” she said.
Formal speeches will take place at 2 p.m., with prize draws being held around 3:45 p.m.
Throughout the event, there will be demonstrations and displays so individuals can learn about programs offered at the library, Burney said.
“We wanted to sort of showcase the different things that go on in the library."
Hundreds of programs are put on each year, from book clubs to Qigong.
“We will sort of try anything once. It's kind of our motto, and if it works, then we'll keep doing it," she said. “We’re always open to new ideas.”
The anniversary dates back to 1983, when the Sheep River Library got its name and officially became an intermunicipal library, but it traces its origins to 1974, when a small, volunteer-run library started at the Griffith Centre. A timeline of the library's history will be on display.
Despite an increase in both e-content and physical materials being checked out, Burney said the library is not just a book exchange.
“It’s about so much more,” she added.
Beyond books and programs, cardholders can sign out bikes or snowshoes, among other unexpected items.
As one of 37 libraries within the Marigold Library System, and as a partner with three other library systems across Alberta, the Sheep River Library has access to over three million items.
For more information, visit sheepriverlibrary.ca.
