KAWARTHA LAKES-Jackie Thomas loves her books and she loves having a library in Dunsford. “I’d hate to see it go. I would be really upset,” Thomas told Kawartha 411. “I don’t like driving in the winter time, I’m 75 so it means a lot to me, I don’t even want to think about it.”
Thomas was one of about 100 people who showed up to a community meeting to discuss the future of the Dunsford Library on Tuesday night. The library lease is coming due in January and the City is reviewing it as part of a Core Service Review. The Cambray and Burnt River libraries were closed as part of that same review.
Library Board Chair, Jamie Morris, told the crowd there were couple of options for the Library, closure was one of them. They also talked about the possibility of extending the lease. The Board leases space at the Dunsford Community Centre for $20,000 a year. When the centre was built the library space was built into it. One of the people involved in managing the property told the board that if the library closes the entire community centre would close as they rely on the rent from the library to help keep the doors open.
In terms of usage the residents heard the Dunsford Library is one of the least used. Of the 14 locations Dunsford falls in at 12th. Omemee is last. The board told residents the Omemee Library is not under review and will be expanding. The move angered some residents who asked why the library would be expanding when usage is going down.”It feels like you are suggesting that Lunsford needs to close to fund Omemee,” shouted one resident.
“One of the places we are expanding is Omemee.” Jamie Morris, Board Chair told the crowd.”It’s because of the condition of it. For years we have known it needed to be larger, an opportunity arose so we made a decision to relocate it.” Morris said each library needs to be considered on it’s own merits.
The statistics showed Dunsford is showing some growth even with only being open for 12 hours a week but some residents called on others show their support by using the facility more often. “I bet there’s a lot of people here tonight who haven’t borrowed a book in a long time,” Pat White said. “If you want to save your library, use it.” In fact the statistics who that less than 20% of the population of the City of Kawartha Lakes has a library card.
But some complained the hours aren’t convenient for working people and called on the board to make it more accessible. Other said the city needs to do more to promote the library. ” What if energy were to be put into a promotion across the City of Kawartha Lakes promoting the library,” Sharon Valentine asked the board. “Proactively promoting literacy and all the things our library has to offer.” The board said there’s simply isn’t the money for that type of promotion. “Decisions have to be made on the basis of the city as a whole, “Councillor Andrew Veale remarked. “There’s a limited amount of money” He then said many people complain about the state of the roads and more money should be put there.
The crowd then learned that a planned expansion of the Bobcaygeon Library was scrapped and the money put into the roads department budget.
Councillor Mary Ann Martin who is also a Library Board member commended the residents on their passion. “Put your passion into things to help your library,” she said. Get involved and help change things so we don’t have to have this conversation again in a couple of years.”
Some residents offered to volunteer their time to work in the library but the idea was quashed because it its a unionized environment.
Sharon Valentine made an impassioned plea to board members to keep the library open. “if your child, parent, grandparent or friend lived in this community would closing our library be best for your family?”
Faye Carslick gathered over 1000 names on a petition to keep the library open. She says its the hub of the community. “It’s a gathering place, a safe domain.”
The board is now contemplating it’s options and will have to make a decision before working on next years budget in October.
