Library moving back in
Grand opening of renovated main library branch expected during last week of the month
There’s still no opening date set for the newly renovated and expanded Peterborough Public Library on Aylmer St., even though construction is more or less done and books are moving in.
Jennifer Jones, CEO of the Peterborough Public Library, said the grand opening will be sometime between Jan. 24 and 31.
At a library board meeting Tuesday evening, Jones said a moving company started taking library material to Aylmer St. on Monday from the temporary location at Peterborough Square.
Jones said all the children’s books have been moved back to Aylmer St. Next will be material from the adult section of the library.
And although the building is safe for occupancy – meaning workers don’t need hard hats or steel toe boots, to enter – there’s still a long list of finishing touches for construction crews as the books are being moved in.
There are touch-ups to be done to paint and drywall, for example, and some concrete work yet to be done.
Because it’s unclear exactly when all this will be complete, Jones said it’s difficult to set a date for a ribbon-cutting with Mayor Daryl Bennett.
But library staff has already planned a busy schedule of special events in February, she said, so the building must be open by the end of this month.
“No later than the 31st,” she said.
In other business at the library board meeting:
Security guards:
The board decided to wait until its next meeting in early February to debate the idea of taking money from their reserves to hire a parttime security guard for the main branch of the library on weekends and evenings.
Council voted not to hire a parttime guard during budget talks in November, at an estimated cost of $21,000.
At the board meeting on Tuesday, Coun. Keith Riel, a library board member, wanted the board to consider hiring a guard from its reserve funds. Coun. Gary Baldwin, also a board member, agreed that the library needs a guard.
But board member Mauro DiCarlo pointed out that they don’t have an accurate costing, since the minimum wage hike; he said they should hold off voting until they have an accurate pricetag.
The board voted to defer the matter until their next meeting in February, at which time Jones will have a new cost estimate.
Public service messages:
The board voted to wait until March to decide whether to have a couple of large TV screens installed at the library, showing municipal public service messages as well as commercial advertisement.
A new program is being instituted in several city buildings, starting March 1: two 55-inch TVs will be installed next to one another showing public service messages on one side and paid advertisements on the other.
Scott Elliott, the city’s corporate sponsorship coordinator, told the board the screens will be installed soon at locations such as the airport, the Sport and Wellness Centre, the Memorial Centre and the lobby of City Hall.
He asked the library board whether they were interested in having the screens at the main branch of the library, but the board decided to wait and see the screens in other locations first and decide later whether they’re suitable for the library.