NUNAVUT - Public libraries had a record number of visits in 2009-2010 and literacy advocates said this makes the need for more culturally-relevant materials in the collections even greater.

The Nunavut Literacy Council said it would be good if libraries had more culturally-relevant materials as part of the collections. Elisapee Flaherty leads an Inuktitut literacy class at the Iqaluit Centennial Library in October 2009. - photo courtesy of Ron Knowling

"We would like to get more Inuktitut books," said Leveena Ashevak, librarian at the Clyde River Community Library in the Ilisaqsivik Family Resource Centre.

According to the Nunavut Public Library Services 2009-2010 report tabled in the legislative assembly in late fall, the territory's 11 libraries had 79,124 patrons walk in to use any of the libraries' services over that period. This was up by more than 22,000 patrons compared to the statistics for 2008-2009.

Ron Knowling, manager of NPLS, said one contributing factor to the increase is probably because many of the libraries are now open longer.

In some communities like in Qikiqtarjuaq, he said the library attracts a lot of younger visitors as there is no youth centre.

He said another factor driving up the number of patrons is the materials the libraries are getting including DVDs and CDs.

"We're trying to use that as an incentive to bring people into the libraries," Knowling said.

Another attraction at eight of the libraries is the computers available for use under the Community Access Program.

While the NPLS increased the size of its collection by almost 5,000 items in 2009-2010, Knowling said it would like to get more books and media in any of the Inuit languages.

Kim Crockatt, executive director of the Nunavut's Literacy Council, said there are more materials available than there used to be when she first started working as a librarian in Cambridge Bay.

"When you went into any of the Northern libraries or the school libraries, the kind of things kids were really interested in were the more popular authors like Robert Munsch," she said.

Jan. 27 was Family Literacy Day in Nunavut and Crockatt said the GN needs to be encouraged to continue to support libraries and the programs they offer Nunavummiut.

"We understand the GN is in a pretty tight position but I think the more support that could be given to them to expand their programs the better."

For 2010-2011, NPLS has a $1.5 million budget to work with. Some of the money is being spent on developing and upgrading the libraries' electronic resources and working towards getting a new public access catalogue. Knowling said this web-based system would allow for more flexibility between branches.

The library would also like to expand its collection of audio books and e-books but a new catalogue would be needed first.

At the Clyde River Community Library, Ashevak welcomes pre-schoolers and their parents or guardians every weekday to come and read books, encouraging them to take them home.

On her library's wish list are more book orders, board games and headphones to listen to music and audio books.

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