The Fort Frances Public Library’s board of directors said it’s all ears when it comes to what the public now has to say in the wake of a recommendation to pursue building a new library here in the next four-five years
“We’ve had some people concerned that everything’s final, and that they had ideas but never got the opportunity to tell us,” said Joyce Cunningham, who chairs the library board.
“It was [architect John Stephenson’s] final feasibility study, but we’re far from done,” she added. “We want to talk to more people in the community about what is needed to serve their needs.
“We talk to people, but you never can be sure of all their needs.
“People love the library. And they’re loathe to say ‘You should do this,’ when we can’t really do anything different right now where we are.
“They may see anything they say as criticism instead of input, but we want to know,” Cunningham stressed.
She clarified that Stephenson’s report—which was presented to town council last week—contained concepts based on input from the library board, “Friends of the Library,” and the public.
She added some basic ideas likely will remain part of the design (being a one-storey building, for example), but that some of the details even now are being thought twice about.
“In the past two years, [chief librarian Margaret Sedgwick] and I have been to 15-20 libraries and gotten ideas,” noted Cunningham, referring to their travels to Toronto for Ontario Library Association conferences.
“For most of the conceptual design, John was listening to our experiences from the first trip,” she added.
In one instance, Cunningham noted she and Sedgwick “fell in love with” a design for a central, round circulation desk for the new library. “Now, we’re not certain if that’s most efficient way,” she admitted.
Another consideration is the height of—and the space between—shelving so it is accessible to handicapped people (the ideal height and space seems to vary from library to library, said Cunningham).
Others are the location of a staff room and nature of the children’s section.
“We’ve been learning a lot. And we definitely want to know what the community wants,” Cunningham remarked.
While the library’s website eventually may feature a link for Internet users to offer input on a new library, in the meantime those online can contact Cunningham directly at joycec@jam21.net
The public also is welcome to attend a library board meeting, which is held every third Wednesday of the month at noon downstairs at the library.
Cunningham stressed the process to build a new library here, including fundraising, is estimated to take four -five years—and that it won’t be easy.
“We’re on a very steep learning curve, but we’re excited,” she enthused.
As reported in last week’s Times, the one-storey library ideally would be located at the site of Alexander MacKenzie School.
Early estimates for the cost of a new library are in the $3.4-million range, with funding coming from the town, “Friends of the Library,” and the provincial and federal governments.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
