Calgary’s public library system is writing the next chapter in its history, with an ambitious 15-year plan to add buildings, nearly triple visitors and boost circulation by 70 per cent.

The organization released its 2027 to 2030 strategic plan on Tuesday, and with it a roadmap to library services and buildings by 2040 to serve a city of two million people.

It calls for visits to rise from nearly seven million today to 18 million by 2040, and for circulation to jump from 2025’s record 17.5 million items borrowed to 30 million. The plan of 11 buildings includes already started projects of Belmont, Walden and Symons Valley, along with the digital prototype space in Skyview Ranch. There’s also a West District Library and YMCA in the design phase.

“This is the first time in our history that we have taken a longer-term horizon when it comes to Calgary Public Library,” CEO Sarah Meilleur told LWC.  

“Looking beyond, there are still important metrics and things that we’re setting for the next four years, but we’re lifting our eyes up to the horizon.”

The plan also calls for a near doubling of its collection to meet a two-items-per-capita goal, and to meet North American benchmarks of 0.3 square feet of community library space per person.

“Our city is growing fast, and critical infrastructure like the library needs to match it. We’re already well on our way,” Meilleur said.

“We see this as an ambitious but also realistic plan and a plan that will help deliver the library that our growing city needs and deserves.”

The plan also talks about commitments, with intellectual freedom being named ahead of Truth and Reconciliation and intentional innovation.

The Calgary Public Library has taken a strong stance in favour of intellectual freedom, a position that’s been challenged by recent Government of Alberta rules around access to library material for minors, and consideration of age-appropriate materials in school libraries.

Growing the collection and building experiences is key to CPL goals: Meilleur

Meilleur said there are a number of factors that will help the Calgary Public Library reach the goals laid out in the new strategic vision.

She said they’ve already been delivering the highest circulation they have, year-over-year in the CPL’s history. Reading continues to be important to the community, Meilleur said, and they’re continuing to build a larger collection of materials.

“A big part of it is also around our experiences. We know how impactful attending library programs is for our community, and we’ve already seen and continue to see large growth in our program numbers and outreach numbers and our attendance year over year,” she said.

“That would be an important part of continuing to adapt and adjust our offerings to help deliver on the things that our community needs.”

The biggest opportunity for growth is in creating capacity; Meilleur said they have waiting lists for many programs and new and expanded buildings will help address that need. They currently operate 22 locations.

“A lot of it hinges on those new locations, on larger locations, and replacement locations,” she said.

That’s going to take a financial commitment from Calgary city council, the organization’s largest funder. It will also take cooperation from the provincial government and continued work from the Calgary Public Library Foundation, the fundraising arm of the CPL. Currently, the CPL’s annual combined operating and capital budget is around $105 million, though the capital budget varies from year to year. The City of Calgary covers roughly $57.4 million in current operating costs, while the province kicks in about $7 million.

“It’s going to take all members of the community, from levels of government to donors, to be able to make these bold goals a reality for the city we want to build for the future,” Meilleur said.

In the short term, over the next four years, Meilleur said the CPL will continue to build its collection of materials, including digital ones.

“But for us, it’s really about focusing on what libraries are really good at: reading, literacy, civic engagement, helping ensure that our community has the tools, the information, the resources, and the literacy skills to engage in the world of today,” she said.

Yes, the goals are ambitious, but Meilleur said that Calgary, as a community, achieves bold targets. It’s a plan to build a better tomorrow through stories, she said.

“I think it’s important to dream of the city we want in the future, to dream of the library system that’s going to help everyone in our community realize their potential,” she said.

“It might scare us a little bit along the way, but I think that those bold goals help us dream big, and that’s Calgary.”