Inuvik (Oct 27/03) - Library services in small communities often fall short of what's available in larger centres.

While places like Yellowknife, Inuvik and Hay River enjoy a diverse collection of books, CDs, videos and on-line services, many smaller communities have little or no local library service.

Two-year-old Linus Mulherin loves books. His grandmother, Susan Mulherin, brings him to the Inuvik Centennial Library to look for some new books while Linus tests out the toys. - Erin Fletcher/NNSL photo

According to some Mackenzie Delta communities, funding, a lack of interest and few volunteers makes a public library service hard to provide.

Aklavik's library is a joint partnership between the community and Moose Kerr school, said Velma Illasiak, school principal.

"The community isn't making it a priority," said Illasiak.

"One teacher can't do it all."

The school doesn't even have their own librarian. Teachers book the room ahead of time and must serve as the librarian for their students, said Illasiak.

"I think leadership should look at it and re-evaluate the situation. Purse strings and dollars is what it's going to boil down to."

She said it is hard to say if the library would be used.

"On one hand it is something nice to have and, on the other hand, is anybody going to use it," she asked.

"It can't always be the school (running it). The community must really want it to make it really work."

Holman's Helen Kalvak school got a new library as part of a $4 million renovation completed in January 2003.

It was the first-ever public library for the hamlet of 400. It opened in February and was closed by April when funding ran dry for the family literacy co-ordinator position held by Joanne Ogina.

After hunting some funding down, school principal Helen Kitekudlak re-hired Ogina and re-opened the library to the public at the end of September. Now the library is opened to the public on Mondays from 7 to 9 p.m. and for families Tuesday and Wednesday from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

"We get a lot of people through," said Ogina.

"We usually get more children than parents. There will often be 50 or 60 children and 10 adults. It's exciting to see them and come in anxious to look at the books and to use the computers."

Ogina's funding runs until the end of March 2004.

Libraries are a "hard sell" in small communities, said Sandy MacDonald, territorial librarian based out of Hay River.

While MacDonald would love to see an active library in every community throughout the territory, it isn't realistic and might not be wanted.

He said the location of a library can affect wether it is being used in a smaller community.

"Often the library is in the school and the adults and kids won't use it," said MacDonald.

"Many are too small to set up and they can't find anyone to run it. There has got to be someone there who pushes for it."

He said a library is an important service to have, especially for the youth.

"(A library) permits youth to have access to some good literature and it will also provide anyone in the community with access to the modern information age."

The territory is where most libraries get the majority of their funding, said MacDonald.

There are nine public libraries within the NWT including Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith, Norman Wells, Fort Simpson, Tulita, Inuvik, Fort Providence and on the Hay River Dene Reserve.

Every year the GNWT gives a contribution grant to MacDonald to be distributed to the communities. The grant varies in size from $8,800 to $1,200 -- about $194,000 in total -- for each community. The rest of the money must be made up by the community.

At the Inuvik Centennial Library head librarian Bev Garven said the town is very supportive. She even has a generous budget of about $10,000 a year to purchase new materials for the library. "Inuvik is fortunate. For its size it is extremely active, well set-up and well run," said MacDonald.

A virtual library

For those communities with reduced or non-existent library services there is an on-line option.

Virtual Library sites -- a small collection of reference books and two computers with Internet access -- exist in Tuktoyaktuk, Aklavik, Fort McPherson, Tsiigehtchic and Inuvik.

By logging on, book lovers have access to a list of all the resources in the territorial library system, said Jeri Miltenberger, virtual library co-ordinator.

"You have full access to everything all public libraries have except actually putting your hand on the book before it gets signed out," said Miltenberger.

Users can order any book on-line and it will be mailed to them free of charge.

For more information check out the Web site at nwtpls.gov.nt.ca.