THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay Public Library released its new master facilities plan on Monday, which will offer more space, increased hours, and what library officials are calling a cost-neutral solution.
Richard Togman, CEO of the Thunder Bay Public Library, said the plan is really exciting.
“We’re moving to a model where we're putting forward to city council a status quo option - keeping the four branches as they are; having an option that has four branches and a central library; and one that has three branches - a central library and one neighbourhood branch on each side of town.
“The models moving forward have a huge effect on how we can operate as a system. Whichever way we move forward, the status quo sees an over 40 per cent increase in the amount of library space and over 25 per cent increase in the number of hours of operation,” Togman said.
Being able to offer evenings and weekends is important - so working families can use the services too, he said.
“Those things are essential to us, not just as a library system, but as a community.
“When we talk about bang for our buck as a city, the model moving forward really gives us a huge return on investment for what the city puts into what we can provide as a library system.”
Togman said a three-branch system is actually a net tax saver for the city.
“It costs a lot to maintain our buildings and our infrastructure. The status quo costs of our system right now from a capital perspective, either meet or actually are more expensive than moving towards either of the models we're proposing going forward.”
Brodie Library and County Park may not be included in their future plans, Togman said.
“The branches that would be maintained are Mary JL Black Library and Waverley Resource Library, our two busiest branches, the ones with the best infrastructure and the best future going forward.”
Togman said total construction costs would be about $16 million. They would be asking for half of that to come from the city.
“We have a major public survey with over 2,200 people responding. That survey really shows that people are willing to pay for this.”
One of the questions the city doesn't ask residents enough is, how much are they willing to pay? Togman said.
“The average Thunder Bay resident is willing to pay almost $40 in addition to their regular taxes to build a new central library.”
Raili Roy, director of community development at Thunder Bay Public Library, said the new master facilities plan includes an amazing opportunity for partnership development.
“Our current spaces are so limited that we've been unable to pursue partnerships with organizations that can help us offer more to the community and who we can be helping achieve their own mandates.
“In fact, we've frequently been unable to provide space for organizations that come to us asking for it,” she said.
Roy said many people can see themselves in this new space.
“They're looking for places to meet the community and the space to do it in order to pursue their own mandates. They see the library as this place where people are already being connected as a natural fit.”
Ruth Hamlin-Douglas, head librarian, said a benefit of getting a central library is more space.
“Our spaces don't do what we want them to do anymore,” she said.
Hamlin-Douglas said they don't have the programming rooms or the ability for small groups.
“Say you were having a book club of your own, but you don't know each other well enough to meet at home.
“We'd like to be able to have small rooms that people can make those sorts of connections and really support our community in those ways,” she said
It's about looking at how the library can better support the community. And in the current buildings, the library struggles with that, Hamlin-Douglas said.
“With changes to space, one of the things we've talked about extensively is a teen gaming area as well as expanding our adult programming.
“We see more older adults who are looking for ways to connect. We want to be able to provide our core programming and expand that programming to support more members of our community,” she said.
Hamlin-Douglas said it's vitally important to have library programming.
“If you look at families with young children who don't have a daycare spot, how are they getting that socialization for their children? It's not necessarily affordable to do a gymnastics class, a swimming class or all of these extracurriculars.
“If you're a low-income senior, a lot of programming that you can participate in, there is a cost. The library focuses on is providing quality programming that's also free of charge,” she said.
The library staff have a month to continue talking with the community and receiving feedback. Council will review the master facilities plan on July 22, Togman said.
