LIBRARY RENOS
Branches could get facelifts
As it begins public consultations on a new central library, a project estimated to cost upwards of $80 million, the Saskatoon Public Library is simultaneously planning to renovate two other branches.
Procurement documents show the library wants to hire a “design lead” for renovations to the Rusty McDonald Branch, in the Lawson Heights Civic Centre, and the bottom level of the J.S. Wood Branch, on Lansdowne Avenue.
“Public library spaces have evolved in tandem with the needs of the communities around them,” the library administration noted in the documents, which highlight the need for “flexible” spaces that can be used by individuals or groups.
The documents do not specify a budget — that will be determined by the designer, library managers and directors — but indicate work at Rusty McDonald is to begin in November, while construction at J.S. Wood would start in May 2019.
Both renovations are expected to take a maximum of two months, meaning Rusty McDonald would be slated to reopen in January, while J.S. Wood — the main floor of which was renovated last year — should be complete by June 2019.
“We are in the process of developing project proposals to refresh both spaces, meaning we are gathering information to prepare cost estimates and timelines,” library spokesman Kirk Sibbald said in an email.
“When they are ready, they will be presented to the board for approval. I don’t know when we might expect them to go to the board for approval.”
Sibbald added such projects are paid for out of reserve funds.
According to the documents, after the renovations, both facilities must meet the City of Saskatoon’s facility accessibility guidelines, which library administrators have cited as the “unfortunate” reason some shelves have been emptied of books.
That explanation does not sit well with some current and former library workers, who reported being told to “declutter” shelves and remove hundreds of items, including books, CDs and DVDs, from circulation.
Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 2669 president Pamela Ryder told the StarPhoenix last week that employees support accessibility, but oppose anything that would diminish the library’s collection.
“If the size of the collection is a problem for accessibility, they should just buy more shelves and figure out how to keep the collection and make things accessible,” Ryder added in an interview on Monday.
The Rusty McDonald branch opened in 1989. According to the procurement documents, its original design met the standards for public libraries at the time but it is now “in need of a redesign and refresh.”
The main floor of J.S. Wood was renovated last summer. The work scheduled for 2019 includes plumbing, electrical, flooring, lighting and painting in the building’s lower level, according to the documents.
The library began public consultations on a new downtown library last week. The Frances Morrison was built in 1965 and, according to library officials, has fallen short of building codes for 17 years.
It’s unclear how much a new downtown branch would cost, but library CEO Carol Cooley in 2016 estimated the project could cost between $80 million and $120 million, to be paid for through fundraising and the library’s property tax levy.
The library is working to complete a controversial restructuring, under which most of its roughly 260 unionized workers have to apply for new positions and some will receive pay cuts.