A pilot program enabling library card holders to access Hamilton’s eight civic museums free-of-charge has been extended for another two years.
The project was launched in 2019, but staff say they’ve been unable to gauge the impact because of facility closures over the past two years, related to COVID.
Paul Takala, Hamilton’s head librarian, says there were some positive early returns prior to the start of the pandemic.
“There were a lot of great stories that we heard from staff”, says Takala, “for example, a young boy bringing in his grandfather. They were new Canadians, and wanting to get the grandfather signed up for a library card so they could go to the museums together.”
“It’s all about access to culture”, adds Takala, “because we all benefit when our residents learn more about our culture, our history.”
The pilot program is now scheduled to run through March 2024.