Island libraries offer new toys and experiences in effort to reach clients old and new

Island libraries are expanding their collections and working on rebranding.

This weeka wide variety of non-traditional items became available to borrow: fitness kits for toddlersthat include foam dice, a foam Frisbee, and sensory balls,and fitness kits for adults, that include a skipping rope, resistance band and yoga mat.

Also on offer aretoys that help kids of all ages learn about coding, and ukuleles.

It's all part of an effortto change the way people viewlibraries, movingaway from the image of a stuffy, solitary place where one might get shushed.

"There's definitely been a shift in the last couple of years where libraries were traditionally repositories of books and knowledge," saidGrace Dawson, a regional librarian with the P.E.I. Public Library Service.

"But they are much more social hubs and community hubs now, places of interaction, places of activity, and that's where I've seen the biggest rise, especially in P.E.I., having them as places that offer innovative programming."

Attracting new clients

She said over the past several years, libraries have started to add more new, non-traditional items that help people learn and play.

"For sure books are important and we'll always carry books and other textual items," said Dawson. "But seeing as people learn in different ways and interact with information in different ways, offering different types of resources is a great option as well."

The new offerings are available at all Island library locations, free of charge to anyone with a library card. Dawson hopes this will help bring new people into the library and bring people back who haven't visited one in years, or even decades.

"It's nice to see that and reach those individuals so they get back into using their public library and see what a wide variety of resources they can access here."

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