Library update

Fall completion date for Picton library extension

The three-storey addition to the Picton library is taking shape and is scheduled for completion in October, after which work will begin on renovation of the existing building. The historic Carnegie library on Picton Main Street was built in 1907 and has served faithfully for generations. But a modern library offers far more services and plays a greater community role than was envisioned a century ago. “We have no space for quiet study or for small meetings, which we were getting a lot of requests for. A lot of people are now doing online courses and they require some space where they had wi-fi and a computer. The collection capacity that we should have had was lacking, and there were accessibility issues with the building,” said Barbara Sweet, Library CEO. “There have been massive changes in the things that we do and the things we are required to do in this day and age, and it is ever-changing.” Expansion plans for the Picton branch of the library were discussed over 15 years ago, but it was not until 2107 that a major fundraising project was initiated to modernize the building. This came about after plans for the expansion were approved by the library committee after public consultations a year earlier, and Alexandra Bake, honorary chair of the committee, was tasked with leading the fundraising project. In 2019 a tender was submitted for the new build, but Council declined to greenlight the project. The library building is municipal property and falls under Council’s purview. They felt the then-current state of fundraising was insufficient to go ahead with the project. The sudden impact of the COVID-19 pandemic shone a spotlight on the importance of the library to the community. Although the physical buildings were inaccessible to the public, book lending and online services provided a much appreciated lifeline to a community reeling under restrictions and lockdowns. Late in 2020, the library again sought Council’s approval for construction, and this time it was granted. “We were so fortunate to get a tender submitted in 2019, and the tender we received agreed to hold their prices, which was extraordinary,” said Bake. In addition, the builder secured the majority of the construction materials prior to the start, thus avoiding the subsequent price increases and material shortage.

The library is still about $150,000 short of its $2.8 million goal. Levy funds and municipal development charges contributed about $850,000, and bequests to the library added about $300,000, leaving approximately $1.5 million to be raised from the community. The pandemic has had an effect on the pace of fundraising, since most of it was community based, through things like special dinners and events. “The bulk of the money that we raised has been raised on the backs of individual donors giving, you know, twenty dollars to twenty thousand dollars, more in the range of 20 to 200 than the 20,000, but there were hundreds and hundreds of individuals who said ‘Yes, we want to support this,’” said Bake. Construction started in August 2021, and is scheduled for completion in October of this year.

One of the complications was that the library property does not extend to Mary Street on the south, and so a lease agreement with The Armoury was set up for construction access. That lease has now expired, and materials are delivered on Main Street through an alleyway beside the Regent Theatre.

The new extension will include four meeting room spaces, a kitchen area to prepare snacks for the after-school children’s programs, a “living wall”, an outdoor balcony space, and a 90-seat auditorium. “We will have a soundproof booth for podcasting, a computer lab, and expanded children’s area, including a baby section within,” said Sweet. “The current office that I have will be restored as the original reading room in the Carnegie library, and we’ll have public washrooms.” The additional space will be welcomed by staff, who often had to spend a significant amount of time moving equipment in and out of storage depending on what programming was taking place. The will also finally have the luxury of a staff room—at the present time they do not even have the space for a coat closet.

The original Carnegie library will be revitalized after the library extension is complete, and the entire project is anticipated to be finished by spring 2023. “We will be restoring the historic components of the original library, including a working fireplace on the second floor, so it will be a nod to the past and a look to the future. We will offer the people of the whole County a wonderful place to gather and enjoy,” said Sweet. “Alexandra has worked tirelessly all this time in fundraising, and so much credit goes to her. It’s been a labour of love for sure.” Stay tuned for a grand finale fundraising event in November at Base 31, formerly known as Loch Sloy. Please visit peclibrary.org for more information.