The Okotoks Public Library is truly one of our town’s treasures. It holds all kinds of stories from people around the world. And every Okotokian has their own unique experience with the Okotoks library. That’s why we love it.
With the internet nowadays, it’s easy to lose sight of the importance of public libraries. If we look at it, heading to a library isn’t really convenient anymore. You’ll spend several minutes browsing through the shelves to find a single book, which might not always give you what you’re looking for.
Why go through all the trouble when you can just pull out your phone and find answers online, right? Not quite. Here are three reasons why public libraries are still essential in a digital world.
Header image source: Okotoks Public Library Facebook
3 Reasons Why Public Libraries are Essential
Free Educational Resources
Public libraries make information accessible to all, especially to those who don’t have access to the internet.
The massive collection of books in a library serves as free educational resources for the people. Even internet access and computer use are usually provided for free in these public libraries.
Public libraries also help increase literacy. With access to a wide range of resources across different platforms, education becomes much more accessible to a larger number of people. Education should be a right, after all, and not just a privilege for the people who can afford it.
Documentation of History
Public libraries are also essential in the documentation of facts and history.
The internet is both a blessing and a curse for us. While it gives us access to information from all around the world, it also makes it easier for people to spread fake news and misinformation with just a few clicks.
With the amount of online content we have, it’s not always easy to identify what’s true and what’s not. Misinformation laced with a little bit of fact becomes much more believable. It can trick people into believing a fabricated truth.
Public libraries preserve the truth and document history for what it is as it unfolds. Books go through a very thorough and tedious editing process before they can even be approved for publication.
Citations in books can’t be just anything. They also have to come from credible and reputable sources. This very thing is what makes books and other print materials more reliable sources of information.
Community Building
Another reason why we say public libraries are essential is that it helps in community building.
Besides books, public libraries also often hold events or activities that enrich the lives of the people. It doesn’t always have to be grand events like a book signing or a seminar. It could also be as simple as getting together to talk about your favorite book quote or doing a 5-minute art activity.
The bottom line is that these activities still greatly contribute to learning. It brings together people of all ages and lets them interact with each other and maybe exchange a story or two.
Public libraries might not seem like such an important part of a community. But trust us, it is. Some may even say it’s the heart of the community. And in some instances, it really is.
Even with all the technological advancements, public libraries still stand strong in communities. That alone should tell you something about just how essential it is to the people.
Okotoks Library Events
Here are some of the events and activities that the Okotoks Public Library holds for the people in their community.
Guided Meditation
There’s always a guided meditation for adults every Sunday morning. Nothing’s better than starting your day and week with optimism and a peaceful disposition.
The meditation sessions are held online. You won’t even have to get up that early and prepare to go to the library. You can just set up an alarm five minutes before the scheduled time.
Change into some comfortable clothes and pull out your yoga mat. Go somewhere you can have your peace and quiet and enjoy the quick 15-minute healing session.
Family Events
The Okotoks Public Library also holds several family events throughout the year. These can range anywhere from day movies to sports drafts. There’s also usually a Play n’ Chat event that the whole family can enjoy.
These family events are held on different days of the week and at different timeslots. They usually last for a couple of hours.
There are different family events every month, with more being added as the days go by. Make sure to always check the website calendar or their social media accounts for events like these.
Educational Events
The Okotoks library also holds educational events for children, even for babies and toddlers. Something as simple as learning about nursery rhymes and the alphabet already helps develop a toddler’s cognitive skills a lot.
For preschoolers, there are several storytime events, usually from Tuesday to Thursday. These sessions only last for 45 minutes. The main goal of these storytime sessions is to teach the children valuable lessons while making the whole experience interactive.
The Okotoks library has a lot of different activities for children and teens. These can range anywhere from Pokemon Club or Anime and Manga Club to art activities and plant kindness.
All these educational events are meant to be fun and engaging for children of all ages. These activities promote learning even outside the classroom. This also gives children the chance to interact with other people besides their family, classmates, and teachers.
Craft Events
Craft events are mostly held in the Okotoks library for children, but there are also some that the adults can enjoy. Learning doesn’t stop when you graduate and get your diploma. There’s always room for finding new hobbies and learning new skills.
Craft events for children usually consist of kits that are complete with the art materials needed. This makes it much easier to manage the arts and crafts session. Children work on their craft and then be able to take it home with them.
For adults, there are craft events like learning to draw or learning how to regenerate soil in your garden. You can learn just about anything new every month—and for free!
Other events for adults also include wellness and mindfulness. These are mostly meant to help ease the stress you experience throughout the week. It gives you an outlet for your emotions and helps you process them better.
Living in Okotoks
Image source: Griffin Real Estate
Living in Okotoks has a lot of advantages. The biggest ones are the low cost of living and above-average income levels. Okotoks also has a high-quality education system for children. There are a lot of great schools in town that you can send your kids to.
Okotoks has a beautiful public library that greatly helps in community building. Again, here are the Okotoks library events that people of all ages can participate in and enjoy:
- Online guided meditation for adults every Sunday.
- Family events for everyone throughout the month.
- Educational events for toddlers, children, and teens every Tuesday to Thursday.
- Craft events for both children and adults throughout the week.
For other Okotoks-related information you might be interested in, check out our blog.
