Jake Epp Library hires business manager, adopts changes

The Jake Epp Library hired a business manager and she is coming into the organization to balance the books and with ideas on how to improve fundraising and marketing of the library.

Recently promoted library director Aubrey Walker made the suggestion to the board to hire a business manager after seeing that the library director and assistant library director roles were virtually the same.

“There is a business side, despite the fact that we’re a non-profit, there’s lots that goes into running a library, a part of that is like running a business,” she said.

Alyssa Pankratz was hired in March and she comes with a bachelor of commerce degree. The Steinbach native said she has worked in Steinbach her whole career working for non-profits first and then moving into the corporate world, but when she saw the opening at the library she knew she had to work there.

“Non-profit is where my heart is. I love to be involved with organizations that are doing great things in our community. Steinbach is home for me, and I want to see all these organizations do everything they can to make this the great place I know it is for everybody else,” she said.

“I’m really looking forward to bringing my ability to really analyze everything. I’m really good with data and really good at trying to make sure that we’re being as responsible as we can while still getting all the things we need, whether that’s books or changes to our building or supplies or whatever, and in the best way possible to make sure that we’re able to keep moving forward,” she added.

The operational cost for running the library this year is $665,978. The library has no debt, but in order to stay out of debt the library had to change its hours thus closing on Fridays and staying open from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

The library sent a letter to City of Steinbach council in April asking for an increase which the city agreed to and will give the library $58,482 in 2026, which means the library can go back to regular hours.

Pankratz said the library sees about 1,500 visitors weekly and while memberships for adult city residents have stayed the same (2,159), juvenile city residents and adult and juvenile non-resident memberships have increased between 2023 and 2024. Between 2023 and 2024 total memberships at the library have increased by 76 new members.

Jake Epp Library received about $35,000 this year in grant funding and Pankratz said grant applications fell a bit to the wayside as the library was going through staffing changes. She said she would like to focus on corporate funding, such as RBC’s Community Investments, and build partnerships with corporations whose “values line up with ours.”

In her role, Pankratz will not only balance the books but she will organize fundraising, branding, and marketing.

“So, some of the things that we’re trying (is) some merchandise. We’ve tried pins and bags and pens, so they’ve been well-received. They’re kind of on a bit of a hiatus right now, but we’re running on a fall and winter collection so that there’s a little bit of a limited edition aspect to it to keep them exciting to people,” she said.

“We’re also working on the idea of an online merch store where you’ll be able to get things like t-shirts and sweaters and things like that. So if you want a cozy hoodie to read in or some fun socks or stuff, keep an eye out on our website and our social media.”

Pankratz will also be working closely with the foundation arm of the library, Friends of the Jake Epp Library, which oversees all donations and invests that money for the library.

“Right now, we’re working with them to kind of strengthen their program and kind of draw attention to some other ways that people can get involved with them, as well as maybe putting a little bit of a stronger emphasis on ways people can actually donate,” she said.

All donations go back into the library for resources, community programing, and additions to the collections. All $10 donations are tax deductible.

Pankratz is exploring with the foundation a way of getting estate donations or endowment funding as those types of donations give for multiple years into the future.

“That kind of support, while one-time or recurring donations are certainly helpful and very welcome, the endowment funds and the estate donations that give long into the future kind of give us a way to be able to forecast that support and know how we’ll be able to use it.”

Pankratz said she’ll contact Steinbach Community Foundation to see if they would be interested in having an endowment fund for the library as they have one for the Steinbach Arts Council.

Pankratz said the library is looking to make partnerships in the community. It recently formed a partnership with Agape House to offer trauma-informed care for two weeks a month and Eastman Immigrant Services. It’s continuing its partnership with Southeast English and Literacy Services, which offers English and literacy classes for newcomers to Canada.

The library recently sent out a call to residents to fill out an online survey so the library can plan for the next five years.

“We’re looking to just learn everything we can about our community because, as I’m sure you know, Steinbach is changing in big ways very fast,” said Pankratz. “That means that the library that we were 10 years ago isn’t the library our community needs today. So we’re really looking to get our community into the building, get their feedback and look for ways of getting action, that feedback, so that they don’t feel like it’s a void that nobody ever listens to.”