Redwater Public Library

The Town of Redwater sits in the northeast corner of Sturgeon County, located approximately 50 km north of Edmonton, Alberta on Highway 38. According to the 2021 census data, the population of Redwater is 2,115; demographically, 17% of the population is under 15 years of age, 63.4% between the ages of 16 and 64, and 19.9% was 65 years or older. While the population is largely English speaking, some of the other languages spoken are French, Ukrainian, German, Korean, Dutch, Tagalog, Mandarin, Afrikaans, Cree, Polish, Russian, and Serbian. Redwater is the center of a large farming community and the discovery of oil in 1948 transformed Redwater from a hamlet to a town and created a range of oilfield related businesses. The area south of town is now known as the Alberta Industrial Heartland which includes Nutrien, Evonik Industries, Northwest Upgraders, Pembina Pipeline , Inter Pipeline, Wolf Midstream and Access Pipeline Inc. Visitors to Redwater will be greeted by the largest oil derrick in the world. Stay at the local campground while you visit other attractions comprised of an outdoor swimming pool, nine-hole golf course, indoor recreation facility and the Redwater Public Library. The town has two schools to educate students from Head Start to grade 12. Medical and emergency services include the Redwater Health Centre, ambulance services, RCMP detachment and a volunteer fire department. Redwater and area has several churches representing a variety of denominations. Redwater is home to approximately 120 businesses including daycare, grocery store, banks, convenience stores, gas stations, pharmacies, Acupuncturist, Optometrist, physical therapy, restaurants, laundromat, bargain store, hardware store, car wash, hotels, hairdressers/barber, car dealership, auto repair, and auto supplies, and many more

The library serves the residents of Redwater residents plus surrounding communities, farms, and acreages. Approximately 35% of town residents are library card holders and have access to the combined collections of 170 libraries with holdings of over 3 million books, DVDs and other items. We currently house a physical collection of over 14,000 items. In 2019 there were over 24,000 checkouts - including over 3000 checkouts of e-content and over 18,000 visits to the Library building. In 2021, we lent out 6553 of our items to other alberta libraries and brought in 2887 items for our patrons to borrow. The library has 3 dedicated staff members and employs students when grant funding is available. We have dedicated volunteers who help with a variety of library tasks. Our public computers are heavily used for job searching, industry related online training, and accessing government services. Library staff aid in basic computer usage, word processing, internet searching, and more. Print and copy services are also available for a cost recovery fee. Proctoring services are provided to high school distance education students and post-secondary students from institutions across Canada. The library offers a wide range of programming for all ages. In 2019, we offered 171 program sessions with 1,921 members of the public participating. We are members of the Sturgeon Adult Learning Council and enjoy many regional and community partnerships. Outreach services are offered to the residents of Diamond Springs Lodge and Long-Term Care in the form of a bi-weekly mobile lending library. The library participates in community events throughout the year including the town-wide garage sale, community information fairs, and the annual Discovery Days parade. The library is a member of the Northern Lights Library System and financially supported by the Town of Redwater, Sturgeon County, Alberta Provincial Government, federal employment programs, local business donors, and the Friends of the Redwater Public Library.