Coaldale Public Library honoured with minister’s award for excellence in public library services

Sunny South News Photo courtesy of the Coaldale Public Library. AWARD WINNER: Coaldale Public Library staff in front of skate library are left to right: Kindra Birss (Head Librarian), Kayley Darby, Doris Janzen, Olga Grigor and Meagan Wigemyr.

By Kristine Jean
Sunny South News

The Coaldale Public Library is being recognized for its Skate Library and the positive impact it continues to have, as it enters its second season. 

The Skate Library was recently awarded the Minister of Municipal Affairs Award for Municipal and Public Library Excellence, serving populations under 10,000. It is one of the highest honours a public library can receive in Alberta and recognizes outstanding, creative, and community-driven initiatives that significantly enhance public library service across the province.

“Winning the Minister’s award is an incredible honour,” said Kindra Birss, head librarian at the Coaldale Public Library. “The Skate Library has shown us how creative library service can bring people together, break down barriers, and strengthen community life. We’re proud of what we’ve built with our partners, and we’re excited to celebrate this achievement with the people who made it possible.”

This marks the second major recognition for the Skate Library in 2024–25. Earlier this year, the program earned the READ Award, selected from among 33 libraries in the Chinook Arch region. 

The Skate Library launched in November 2024 to coincide with the opening of Coaldale’s outdoor skating rink. Originally starting with 70 pairs of skates, the Skate Library has expanded over the past year, and today offers 100 pairs of free skates for all ages and all skill levels. The initiative has become a community favourite and draws residents and visitors to the library and has helped strengthen connections with local organizations. The surge in use saw the library hire an additional staff member to help meet demand.

“It’s been so well received by the community. It’s tripled our winter weekend traffic,” said Birss, noting the community groups, schools and families – both Coaldale residents and visitors, who have used the Skate Library in its first year. “The response was so great that we had to buy more skates – the Coaldale Kinsmen purchased more helmets for us already,” she added. 

“We’re really excited heading into this new winter season, to see the community out enjoying it again.”  

Birss noted the Skate Library’s success is the result from strong community collaboration. Support from the Town of Coaldale and local groups—including the Kinsmen—helped provide skate trainers, helmets, funding, and other resources. Schools and community organizations have also embraced the program.  

The award has helped put the Coaldale Public Library’s innovation and creativity in the spotlight, and its work and success with the Skate Library is an inspiration for other libraries in the province. 

“This program is so accessible to the community and is such a great community builder. It brings people into the library who aren’t necessarily coming to the library,” explained Birss. 

To mark the milestone and kick-off the new skating season, the Coaldale Public Library will host a community celebration and Skate Night on Dec. 6, from 5:30–8:00 p.m. at the Coaldale Civic Plaza Outdoor Rink. The event will include free skate rentals from the Coaldale Public Library, community skating for all ages with no registration required, hot chocolate, s’mores, pizza, music, family activities, and a special appearance from Elsa (Frozen).  

“Our library will be open special hours that night, so we will be open until 8 p.m. so people can come into the library and borrow skates,” said Birss. “It’ll be fun for families to come out and enjoy.”