When the public enters into the newest Calgary Public Library location in the northeast, the first thing patrons are likely to notice is that there is a distinct absence of any books.

The second thing they’re likely to notice is that it has everything else that a modern library branch provides, from computers, to meeting rooms, to printers, and even phone call pods.

That change is by design, as part of a new prototype pilot, aptly named Prototype: Skyview, that seeks to provide a stopgap between communities having no library access and having a full CPL branch, by providing digital and community-focused service.

“It’s a way to pop-up service and meet community needs without having a full bricks-and-mortar library. It’s challenging to build those, and libraries take time, so this is a way to respond and meet the community where they’re at,” said Calgary Public Library CEO Sarah Meilleur.

“We know that this community accesses the Saddletowne Library, and they use all the digital services. They print with their $5 of free printing a month with their library card. They use the Wi-Fi, they use computers, and they come here to gather as a community to spend time and use the library as a space. So those are all things that this location is going to deliver on.”

Meilleur said that libraries have continued to adapt to meet the needs of patrons, and that CPL is celebrating 112 years of providing changing library service to Calgarians.

“There are books here. They’re just digital books. There are access to so many digital resources that help us meet the demands of our growing community. This is not going to replace what a full bricks-and-mortar library will be, but it really is about filling the gaps,” she said.

She said that the pilot, and temporary location, is meeting what has become exponential growth in library service demand. More than 425 Calgarians each day have been signing up for free library cards, and there are now over 800,000 active library users which represents more than half of the population of Calgary.

“Library space is incredibly important. People want to come together. They want to gather. They want to meet friends and family. They want to study. They want to start that new business, and in order to do that, they want to do that where everything is free, and that’s what’s so cool about the library,” Meilleur said.

A potential model for other locations in Calgary

Currently, there was no timeline on how long the pilot would run for, or if it would be expanded to other communities in Calgary, Meilleur said.

“We would really like to use this as a new concept to meet needs as this community grows in different ways and spreads out at this point in time, we don’t have a set number, but we know it’s something that we want to try here, and then consider what it might look like in another growing community of Calgary,” she said.

Success will be defined by the feedback that CPL receives from community members, Meilleur said.

The location was already a success, given the number of community members who were entering to use the location even before it’s official 10 a.m. opening time, said Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal.

Prototype: Skyview is located in the Sky Point Landing shopping complex, located at 6004 Country Hills Blvd NE, in the heart of one of the fastest growing areas of Calgary.

“I want to thank Calgary Public Library for bringing this, it was much needed. It was long overdue. We are seeing Saddletowne Library, which is, I think, by per-capita the highest use in the city. You go there any time of the day, it’s busy,” said Coun. Dhaliwal.

“I always say, Ward 5 is gateway to our city. Recently, we have seen lots of inter-provincial migration and international migration. Lots of people are moving in, and they choose Ward 5 to live in because of the social connections they have.”

Tens of thousands of people have moved to the northeast, Dhaliwal said, and infrastructure has not kept up.

“For instance, Redstone, Cityscape, Cornerstone, Skyview only has one Calgary Public Education school, one K to 9 school, and the population growth has been exponential. We finally have this prototype library, but we need a full structure library, which is already budgeted in ’23 to ’26 budget,” he said.

The impact for Skyview residents would be immediate, Coun. Dhaliwal said.

“Having this concept where you have solo pods, where you have these [meeting] rooms, where people can come in they can borrow a Chromebook, they can borrow other digital equipment, and they can read they can read newspapers. So this is encouraging and catering to their needs and habits,” he said.

“I’m very excited, and also I’m cautiously optimistic that this concept will be a go forward concept that we can apply in the rest of the city.”

Prototype: Skyview will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. most days of the week, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays, to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

For more information, see www.calgarylibrary.ca/your-library/locations/prototype-skyview.