By Michelle Normandeau
The Ottawa Public Library board’s vision for a main library will take time, planning and most of all money, before it can become reality.
While the board has recently approved $500,000 to be allocated for research, planning and consultation for the development of a new main branch, the money still has to be approved by city council and included in next year’s capital budget.
The process is still very much in the preliminary stages, says librarian Barbara Clubb.
“These are very large projects and they take a lot of work to develop the entire project.”
While there is nothing definitive yet, the library board wants several elements included in the new main branch.
These include a cultural complex that will house not only the library but also a museum, city archives, theatre space and a city art gallery.
The new library would try to solve many of the problems the current facility on Metcalfe Street is facing.
“The existing library is just woefully inadequate,” says Somerset Ward Coun. Elisabeth Arnold.
“We need a good quality library.”
Arnold says the current library was not built to meet the demands that are being placed on it.
The new branch would have improved accessibility, as well as a more efficient circulation system, and more technology.
The new library would also be better equipped to meet the multi-cultural needs of the citizens of Ottawa.
Location is also a key aspect in ensuring that the new main branch can fulfill the needs of the public. Arnold says the location will be in the downtown area and criteria such as accessibility by public transportation will be an important factor. And while no location has yet been decided, “everyone has an idea of where it should go,” says Clubb.
It is still too early to estimate what the final cost of the project would be, but Alayne McGregor, vice-chair of the library board, says there has been talk of developing private-public partnerships to fund the creation of the new branch. “We want to create a facility that is most cost-efficient and useful for the citizens,” says McGregor.
Once city council includes money in the capital budget for research and planning, the board will begin a consultation process and develop a better idea of what is feasible.