Library board told to pay part of cost for new website design

The library board is considering its options for a new website now that the city says it won’t cover the full cost of a redesign.

City council voted recently to spend $477,915 on a new city website, plus similar-looking ones for the library, the Memorial Centre and the Peterborough Housing Corporation.

The city is hiring eSolutions, a firm that has designed many municipal websites.

But it turns out the $477,915 won’t cover the full cost of the library’s new website. The library would owe the city $35,700 for setup and design of the site, states a report from the library CEO, plus $1,200 a year for website hosting fees.

Jennifer Jones, CEO of the library, told the library board at a meeting on Tuesday evening that she would look into how much it would cost to create and maintain a new website without any city support.

But she said it could be more expensive, particularly considering the library doesn’t have inhouse information technology staff - it relies on city staff for IT help.

The board agreed to have Jones do the research before making a decision.

Coun. Keith Riel, a member of the board, said he would also ask questions at City Hall about why a new website will cost the library money.

“We OK’d $477,000 to do this part of it was that the library was

included,” he told the board. “I want to know why they’re billing us.”

Meanwhile, a new security guard started duties at the library on Tuesday evening.

In February the library board voted to use reserve funds to hire part-time security - on evenings and weekends - at the newly renovated building on Aylmer St.

CEO Jones said the idea is to curb disturbances in the library, which include incidents caused when intoxicated people wander into the library and disturb other patrons.