Harry Derbowka


SASKATCHEWAN LIBRARY TRUSTEES' ASSOCIATION

Honorary Life Membership
In Recognition of

Harry Derbowka

Harry Derbowka, born February, 1915, on a farm near Borden, served in the RCAF during world War II, moved to Borden and then worked as an electrician to bring electric power to farms and rural municipalities for twenty years.

Harry Derbowka has served the Village of Borden as councillor from 1962 and mayor from 1971 and was active as a volunteer on many local boards.

In the mid 1960's Harry Derbowka travelled to R.M. and Village council meetings to gather community support for library levies to allow formation of Lakeland Library Region. He represented the Village of Borden on the Lakeland Library Region Board since it was a pro-tem Board (1971-1972) and on the Borden Library Board since 1972.

With his encouragement Borden Library initiated a toy library in 1984 and through a $1,400 TIP grant with the museum board acquired a video cassette reader and created an archival video of Borden. Since Borden became the fourth branch of Lakeland Library in July 27, 1992, the local collection has quadrupled and the library is now open twelve hours a week.

As a member of S.L.T.A. Harry attended several S.L.T.A. Conferences and encouraged his local library board to continue its membership. He always felt local library trustees needed to ,support activities of the provincial library trustees association as the voice for local and regional library trustees.

His long service to libraries in Northwestern Saskatchewan was recognized in 1991. The Saskatchewan Library Trustees Association awarded to him their Honorary Life Membership Award on the nomination of Lakeland Library Region.