MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - The province’s decision to keep library grant funding stable in 2025, including providing $33.6 million in operating grants, is welcome news, says Mountain View County deputy reeve Dwayne Fulton.
The province government recently announced that under budget 2025, it will be providing a total of $39 million to support public library services.
The county’s representative on the Parkland Regional Library System (PRLS), Fulton told the Albertan, “This funding supports our residents’ access to vital library services. The provincial funding is critical and their support for libraries across the prove is evident with the funding announcement.”
Mountain View County contributes funding to six libraries in the county’s boundaries, as well as a per capita contribution to the PRLS, which services communities through central Alberta.
Council earlier approved the PRLS 2025 budget at an $9.81 per capita rate.
The provincial funding announced will be distributed to 225 public library boards across the province, including to area municipal libraries.
“Budget 2025 maintains funding for local libraries at an all-time high and in turn helps those who make libraries possible keep up the great work,” minister of Municipal Affairs Ric McIver said in a release.
In the same release, Ron Sheppard who is a director with PRLS, said, “The public library community is grateful to the government of Alberta for another year of stable grant funding, which is indispensable to libraries fro serving the nearly five million citizens of the province.”
As well as the $33.6 million being provided in grants, the province is also providing $5.4 million for network support and branch operations.
