Indoor access for students to community library in Penhold, Alta., to end June 30

Penhold's library and the town's high school will soon have a wall between them. The library will also lose funding from the school division.

As of June 30, a central Alberta library will no longer offer indoor access to students from the adjoining high school.

Penhold Crossing Secondary School is attached to the Penhold and District Library, as part of the town multi-plex.

There will no longer be “free flow” from within the building, and Chinook’s Edge School Division is also pulling annual funding of roughly $20,000 to move its library services in house.

The plan was announced a year ago, ending an almost decade-long agreement.

“I’m really sad, honestly, because the library is the heart of our community. As a parent, first and foremost I think it’s a real loss for students and community members alike,” said Penhold and District Library treasurer Brandi Filipchuk.

The library offers books, social lounge spaces, computer access and family programming among other things.

For one grade 12 student, access to the baby grand piano in the library will be missed the most.

“The environment that this place offers, it’s healing and it’s just amazing,” said Levi Gloude.

His mother said the library staff and community connections have been extremely valuable for her son.

“It’s something about this openness,” said Nicole Gloude.

Bringing in line

Chinook’s Edge School Division officials tells CTV News this change brings the library in line with how its school libraries operate in 11 other communities.

“We wanted to make sure that [the access] was equal to the access of any other student of any other community in our school division. By making this change we’re able to do that,” said Shawn Russell, associate superintendent for corporate services with Chinook’s Edge School Division.

It will be creating a new “library learning commons space” at another site on the Penhold Crossing school grounds

In details shared with a letter sent home to students on April 30, it reads:

“Chinook’s Edge will be investing 27 per cent more in staffing for Learning Commons spaces in the for Learning Commons spaces in the Penhold community starting in September 2025, as well as an additional $60,000 for resources.”

It also plans to build a retractable wall to allow occasional community access to the some adjoining space.

Incompatible access

Filipchuk said the resources available at the community library outperform what the division is offering.

“There’s no way that’s what’s best for students,” she said.

Filipchuk added that students will miss out on the benefits from interacting with community members.

The library will be open to the public from its main entrance during its operating hours, but is closed on Sundays and Mondays.