{"id":96911,"date":"2025-07-07T07:00:41","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T07:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bibliostaged.wpengine.com\/?p=96911"},"modified":"2025-10-09T13:46:43","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T13:46:43","slug":"library-story-st-catharines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/library-story-st-catharines\/","title":{"rendered":"Increasing hours with open+: St. Catharines Public Library"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIncreasing hours with open+: St. Catharines Public Library\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMeet community desire for greater access to a tiny library branch.\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tEnormous community satisfaction and booming increase in use and circulation.\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Watercolor sunsets, <\/span>fluttering <\/span>sailboats<\/span> and <\/span>hulking<\/span> ships<\/span>,<\/span> and<\/span> a festive yet <\/span>relaxed atmosphere <\/span>are<\/span> the broad strokes <\/span>of <\/span><\/span>St<\/span>.<\/span> Catharines<\/span><\/span><\/a>, <\/span>the largest <\/span>city <\/span>in the Niagara Region<\/span> of Ontario, Canada<\/span>. <\/span>L<\/span>oo<\/span>k <\/span>a little closer <\/span>and <\/span>it\u2019s<\/span> easy to see why residents and v<\/span>acationers <\/span>luxuriate in this<\/span> sparkling <\/span>locale, famous for <\/span>its <\/span><\/span>seafaring <\/span>ways<\/span><\/span><\/a> blended with <\/span>the best <\/span>amenities <\/span>of current times. <\/span>With its i<\/span>nstantly recognizable<\/span>,<\/span> octagonal<\/span>,<\/span> teal-capped white <\/span><\/span>lighthouse<\/span><\/span><\/a>, the city<\/span> abuts <\/span>Lake Ontario<\/span> with<\/span> northward <\/span>views <\/span>of Toronto <\/span>across the water<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Photo credit: City of St. Catharines Economic Development & Tourism Services<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Whether by auto, air, boat, or train, it\u2019s easy to travel to St. Catharines for a brief sojourn or for a lifetime. Those who build their lives in this city of approximately 144,000 people know the particular enjoyments that come from living in an area steeped in history yet constantly embracing the future. While only a half-hour drive from <\/span>Niagara Falls<\/span><\/a>, St. Catharines, affectionately known as the <\/span>Garden City,<\/span><\/a> offers plentiful attractions and rewards of its own, making it a must-see on the agenda.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

St. Catharines includes three distinct beaches: <\/span>Lakeside Park Beach<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Sunset Beach<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Jones Beach<\/span><\/a>, offering all of the water pastimes one could want from a day at the beach. Windsurfing, swimming, volleyball, boating, kayaking, rowing, and fishing abound, as does cycling, skating, and walking the abundant green spaces speckled with public art. <\/span>Happy Rolph’s Animal Farm<\/span><\/a> is a stone\u2019s throw away, delighting all ages with its <\/span>farm animals<\/span><\/a> and enormous playground, along with fields, ponds, and abundant <\/span>rhododendrons<\/span><\/a> making a perfect backdrop for picnics and photographs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Keeping things moving is the <\/span>Lakeside Park Carousel<\/span><\/a>, relocated from New York to St. Catharines in 1921. Designed by late-19th century foremost master builder <\/span>Charles I. D. Looff<\/span><\/a>, creator of hand-carved carousels, roller coasters, and Ferris wheels, the Lakeside Park Carousel features sixty-eight gorgeously restored wooden animals always ready for a twirl.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Photo credit: The Tourism Partnership of Niagara<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Whether seeking a leisurely stroll on the <\/span>Port Dalhousie Pier<\/span><\/a> or a day hiking the <\/span>Bruce Trail<\/span><\/a>, St. Catharines has the <\/span>bases covered<\/span><\/a>, and a night out includes cultural powerhouse venues including the <\/span>FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre<\/span><\/a> and the <\/span>Meridian Centre<\/span><\/a>. Wine enthusiasts will find an array of flavors in this world-renowned <\/span>Niagara wine country<\/span><\/a>, including its award-winning icewines. The annual Niagara <\/span>Grape & Wine Festival<\/span><\/a> in St. Catharines’ <\/span>Montebello Park<\/span><\/a> bursts with tailgate parties, brunch battles, and two parades.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

After working up an appetite exploring the area and doing some local <\/span>boutique shopping<\/span><\/a>, St. Catharines is full of mouth-watering dining, from burritos to egg rolls, tapas to tikki chaat, antipasti to pierogies, schnitzels to seafood paella, and creamy gelato, vegan doughnuts, and baklava for dessert, to name a few.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The community also has a big appetite for access, as <\/span>St. Catharines Public Library<\/span><\/a> knows and supports very well. This forward-thinking library system, with four locations throughout the city, found the perfect solution to meet huge demand for its collection and services in a tiny branch. Already using Bibliotheca <\/span>security gates<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>selfChecks<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>RFID<\/span><\/a>, the library sought a way to ensure access to a most unique building, their <\/span>Port Dalhousie Branch<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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St. <\/span>Catharines<\/span> Port Dalhousie Branch opening 1961<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cPort Dalhousie was its own village in our area for a very long time,\u201d<\/span><\/i> says Grace Howes, Communications Specialist for St. Catharines Public Library. <\/span>\u201cIn 1961, the Village of Port Dalhousie was incorporated as part of St. Catharines, and the former townhall building was converted into the Port Dalhousie Branch.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cWhen we talk about this branch, we just call it Port,\u201d <\/span><\/i>Howes explains. <\/span>\u201cWe don’t say the Port Dalhousie Branch, and our community has also come to know it just as Port. The building is very old and has been a lot of different things to the community over the decades. We’ve had it for some time now and, at 1,205 square feet, it’s quite cozy and the community is in love with it.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Indeed, the structure and fa\u00e7ade of the building has been carefully preserved and maintained over the years, and its aesthetic charm is indicative of the neighborhood as a whole. The building may be small, but its collection of books and multimedia is mighty, and the library even managed to incorporate a children\u2019s area in the limited space.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cOne of the challenges we had with Port was, because it’s so small, we couldn’t dedicate a lot of staff to it, space-wise, so we had fewer days when the branch was open,\u201d<\/span><\/i> Howes shares. <\/span>\u201cIf it was open for four days, that meant that three days of the week it was closed and sitting unused. The community didn’t like that and we didn’t like that, not only because this is a very beloved branch, but also because it’s in an extremely high tourist zone, since it’s right on the water and there are lots of fun shops and restaurants and things to do.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Beyond the space constraints of the building itself, the library did not have the budget to add significantly more staffed open hours to the Port Dalhousie Branch, but the community clamored for significantly more access.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cWe put out a survey to the community,\u201d <\/span><\/i>Howes says,<\/span> \u201casking questions such as, \u2018How do you feel about our service hours? What would you like us to do?\u2019 And the response from the community was: \u2018We want more access, more time in the library, more opportunities to browse.\u2019 Some responded with, \u2018I want 24-hour access to the library, like some university libraries have.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Upon considering the survey results, library administration determined that <\/span>open+<\/span><\/a> was <\/span>\u201c\u2026a great solution to create an extended access service without having to break the bank.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The library cleverly calls it \u201cPort Plus,\u201d and the extended access it provides means that the hours of the <\/span>Port Dalhousie Branch<\/span><\/a> now effectively align with the hours of the other <\/span>St. Catharines branches<\/span><\/a>. If anyone at the Port Dalhousie Branch during its unstaffed hours has questions, they can use a Help Phone to be connected with staff at another branch, to assist them in real time. The library describes \u201cPort Plus\u201d at the Port Dalhousie Branch in the following manner:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

This location is also home to our extended hours model titled Port Plus. Port Plus allows registered Members to use their library card to access to the collections, public computers, WiFi and space in the Port Dalhousie Branch during hours staff aren\u2019t on site. You can sign up to become a registered member of Port Plus in person at an SCPL Branch during regular service hours.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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St. Catharines Staff and Board Members at Port Plus Open House<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Howes says that in the very early stages of implementing Port Plus, staff voiced concerns about whether the technology would threaten their jobs. <\/span>\u201cIt’s the same as what was heard in libraries when self-checkouts became a thing\u201d<\/span><\/i> Howes says,<\/span> \u201cbut our management team was on top of it, they anticipated that these were going to be some of the questions, and they were able to squash the fear right away.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Not only was reducing staff hours never on the table, after utilization of Port Plus began, the library actually added two staffed hours per week to the Port Dalhousie Branch, to achieve a balanced rotation of days with staff present.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Library staff quickly acclimated to Port Plus and now, it\u2019s simply part of the daily fabric. <\/span>\u201cThey’ve integrated it so naturally into their roles,\u201d<\/span><\/i> Howes smiles. <\/span>\u201cThe sense is, \u2018This is just part of the library; of course we have Port Plus extended hours, that’s just how we do it here now.\u2019 Overall, it was a really smooth process into launching, and ever since, it’s been a very natural part of our operations.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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St. <\/span>Catharines<\/span> former Board <\/span>M<\/span>ember, Les McDonald, <\/span>sig<\/span>n<\/span>ing up for Port Plus<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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In order to use Port Plus, the library requires a visit to a branch in person to learn how it works, along with the signing of an agreement of use, which <\/span>\u201c\u2026keeps people accountable and I’m sure a lot of other libraries who use extended access have similar checks and balances in place.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Initially, some community members didn\u2019t understand the extended access model, but library staff held an open house at the Port Dalhousie Branch, with extra staff on hand to explain how to use Port Plus and demonstrate using it step-by-step. Howes says that, during the open house, they stationed a staff member at the <\/span>Port Plus<\/span><\/a> keypad to directly help people overcome any technological barriers or fears, and they found great success with this technique. <\/span>\u201cIt was a win-win for the community and for staff. Customers have really picked up their usage at the location as a result of <\/span><\/i>Port Plus<\/span><\/i><\/a>.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Holly Jones, Manager of Programming and Promotions<\/span> for<\/span> St. <\/span>Catharines<\/span> Public Library<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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St. Catharines Public Library launched Port Plus in early 2023, and in its first year of use, the gate count increased by 42%. Before that, Howes says, <\/span>\u201cit was quite a sleepy branch. People used it, but not to the same degree as our other locations, but circulation went up by 20% in that first year. A poll that we did with the community showed that the majority of customers using Port Plus were there to pick up holds or just browse the collection and see what was on the shelves. That is the bread and butter of the library, right? We love our <\/span><\/i>Library of Things<\/span><\/i><\/a>, we love using the library as a study space, and using internet, and so on. But picking up our books and finding something new to read is where we started and where we are still going strong.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

To enhance and expedite customer autonomy during visits, whether during staffed or unstaffed hours, the library added a <\/span>selfCheck<\/span><\/a> machine to the Port Dalhousie Branch. <\/span>\u201cThis is a branch that went from basically no independent technology to all of the independent technology,\u201d <\/span><\/i>Howes shares.<\/span> \u201cWe knew we’d have to train the community on using the library independently, but so far, it’s been extremely smooth\u2014shockingly smooth, considering. The community has been a part of every change in the library.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Ken Su, CEO of St. Catharines Public Library, being interviewed by CHCH TV about the launch of Port Plus<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Library staff had the same positive experience when learning to use <\/span>open+<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i> When they installed it, a Bibliotheca technician taught their team how to use the system, and then<\/span>\u201c\u2026the library IT team created a series of very easy to follow videos for our staff, and I think that’s a testament to how effortless the system is for customers and for staff to use, because training was very simple, very quick for us, and staff took to it right away.\u201d<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

One day per week, the Port Dalhousie Branch is fully closed and unstaffed, but those with Port Plus memberships can, and do, use the branch that day. In fact, a Montessori school group uses Port Plus to access the Port Dalhousie Branch on that closed weekday. <\/span>\u201cThey go in and use the kids area to do group reading, and to teach and explore and play,\u201d<\/span><\/i> says Howes. <\/span>\u201cThat only became accessible to them because of the extended access <\/span><\/i>Port Plus<\/span><\/i><\/a> system, whereas before, the library would be lights off and no entry. It’s a good way to create a quiet, public space, even when we can’t have staff there. It ended up being the perfect time to bring in a very small school group to do some reading and find some books for the classroom.\u201d<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

Howes says that <\/span>St. Catharines Public Library<\/span><\/a> recently rebranded itself and that the rebranding was <\/span>\u201c\u2026truly inspired by the city of St. Catharines; it\u2019s small but has four square kilometers of green space, which is a lot, given its size. So, it’s nicknamed the Garden City and we pulled a great deal of inspiration from that into our work and into the nature of the library. We redid our tagline, too; it’s now: Ideas in Bloom. We’re constantly trying to inspire community growth and community improvement, to make it a bright, enjoyable place to live.\u201d<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

Dovetailing with the Garden City nickname and the library\u2019s own tagline of Ideas in Bloom, the St. Catharines Public Library current <\/span>strategic plan<\/span><\/a> is titled, \u201cA Community in Bloom.\u201d Part of the plan\u2019s first goal states that the library is intent on <\/span>\u201c\u2026finding new ways to show our customers how we can be part of their day, and making it even more convenient for them to visit…\u201d<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

Unquestionably, St. Catharines Public Library has achieved this marker. <\/span>\u201cCreating Port Plus was a strategic goal for us: creating better access and being a library for all,\u201d <\/span><\/i>Howes says.<\/span> \u201cAnd now, we feel we are able to do that even better, because we have more access and we’re open longer, essentially.\u201d<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Howe<\/span>s challenges other libraries to be fearless in their pursuit of <\/span>community <\/span>access. <\/span><\/span>\u201cI would say<\/span>:<\/span> don’t<\/span> be scared of<\/span> the <\/span>technology<\/span>. Libraries are by nature historic institution<\/span>s<\/span> because <\/span>we’ve<\/span> been around forever, but <\/span>we’re<\/span> constantly evolving. Get ahead of the <\/span>questions, because<\/span> buy-in is key. You want your staff to be advocates for <\/span><\/span>open+<\/span><\/span><\/a>. You want your customers to look to your staff for information on the front lines, and to make them confident a<\/span>nd excited about it.<\/span> I think<\/span> <\/span>open+<\/span><\/span><\/a> i<\/span>s a good mission: creating more access to libraries. <\/span>It\u2019s<\/span> a great way<\/span> for us <\/span>to show our <\/span>community that <\/span>we’re<\/span> available and that they can just swing by and find entertainment<\/span>, <\/span>knowledge<\/span>, and <\/span>experiences.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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With limited space and high demand, a beloved lakeside branch finds new life\u2014and new hours\u2014thanks to open+ access.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":96912,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[74,78,105],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-96911","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-library-stories","category-blog","category-library-experience"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96911","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96911"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96911\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96912"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96911"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96911"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96911"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}