By Amanda Portelli
Accessibility emerged as the dominant concern at an open house last week seeking public input into the future of the city’s library system .
The issue has been debated for years as the main library on Metcalfe and Laurier streets has outgrown its facilities and deteriorated.
At the meeting, the city’s chief librarian, Barbara Clubb, called the facility cramped, old and not equipped to handle advances in technology.
Various solutions have been advanced, including moving the main library from its current downtown location to other areas of the city.
However, the consensus among residents at the meeting was that the new central library should remain downtown, close to transportation and office towers where many people work.
“Proximity to schools, and proximity to old age homes is probably going to be more important than the size of the branch,” said Jim Cragg, a resident who attended the meeting.
“Libraries should be delightful places. And one of the characteristics of delightful places is relaxing,” said Ruth Dempsey, who also attended the meeting.
The Ottawa Library Board will take into account these discussions when it develops a plan for the system’s future.
But regardless of what is decided at these meetings, the central library will remain the same for at least five more years.
The reason it is taking so long is because the library needs to secure financial resources in order to proceed with the plan, said Clubb .
While access to services was the main concern among the dozen people that attended the meeting, some also raised concerns about the city’s smaller community libraries.
“Part of this question about the central library, does it have to be where the largest collection is – not necessarily,” said resident Robert Brocklebank..
Resident Peggy Tyson agreed.
“What I’m afraid is that so much money will go into building a new central library that Rosemount and other community libraries will be closed down.”
One idea to counter this concern is to decentralize the bulk of the book collection.
Instead of focusing the majority of books at the central location, each small community library would concentrate on one topic. Each library would have material on every topic, but each one would also specialize.
This is a way of ensuring that each small community library is just as important as a centralized one.
“The leading question is what do you want your library to be. People have said that we have these goals but we’re not sure where to go with them – we had no vision. So we want people to share their ideas for the library,” said Joan Haire, a library planning consultant.
This was the second in a series of four meetings hosted by the library board.
The public consultations are the second phase of a three-phase project to update the library system.
“Ideally, in this second phase we will gather information from the public and then send it to the library board in late November.
The board will then decide what to do with it,” said Haire.
The first phase was a series of focus groups in the spring which advised the board how to direct phase two.
The third phase will involve an actual development plan. This plan will again be discussed in public meetings.
During the third phase the public will be able to voice their opinions about the plan for building a new central library.