BY JANE THRALL

My earliest memories of my local library are of my mother taking me to the children ' s section and letting me choose a half dozen books to take home for the week . But later , once I hit middle years , the library became a place for research . Unlike our dated Funk and Wagnalls encyclopedia set at home , our library had up-to-date reference materials as well as magazines , current newspapers , and older publications on microfiche .

As I grew older , I began to take advantage of the music collection at some of the larger branches , then eventually I borrowed VHS movies — and DVDs when they became available .

Today , libraries have to compete for the attention and needs of a whole new generation of people who don ' t have time to search books or roll microfiche through a viewer . The Internet ' s rapid acceptance has changed how people use libraries and what they expect from them . Alberta libraries have adapted by providing a significant number of their resources online and by focusing more of their in-house collections on media and technology .

For example , both Edmonton and Calgary Public Libraries offer up to three hours per day of free music streaming through Freegal — with a collection of over nine million songs ! If you prefer local music selection , you can download or

stream music from local bands through the Edmonton Public Library ' s Capital City Records . They also have an amazing collection of vintage Edmonton concert posters online .

If you prefer a movie , Hoopla is a digital streaming service that offers movies , TV , music and audiobooks for download ; and there is no waiting list for popular selections . Your library membership allows you to borrow or stream up to ten items per month , and thirteen libraries in Alberta offer this service .

IN EDMONTON

The Edmonton Public Library ' s Makerspace is probably one of the most amazing innovations in recent years , allowing users to create using the library ' s onsite resources . Stanley A . Milner Library is home to two audio sound booths where users can record their own music or podcasts . There are also instrument rentals available — just in case your guitarist lacks a guitar .

Would you like to 3D print a custom set of chess pieces ? Maybe a prototype of that fabulous new mousetrap you ' ve designed ? You can do that and more at the library where 3-D printing isn ' t just found in a science fiction novel . Users have been printing a variety of items including toys , car parts , and even the parts to make a 3D printer . The wait list for the printer is about three weeks , but the possibilities are endless .

Partnering with the City of Edmonton , the Edmonton Public Library ( EPL ) now lends Green Home Energy Toolkits that can measure everything from energy use to heat loss . The wait list for one of the most popular items in the catalog , a home energy kit , can be as long as three years .

Launching soon is a brand new offering : mobile Wi-Fi hotspots . EPL and Rogers have combined forces to provide portable Wi-Fi units that can

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