Study on future of Trail library to begin Friday
By Kyra Hoggan
Work will begin Friday on a roughly $35,000 study to determine whether a move or expansion would be the ideal solution to space constraints at the Trail Public Library.
Library Board Chair Barbara Gibson said Vancouver-based consultants David Nairne and Associates Ltd, will be in town Nov. 2 to meet with the board and stakeholders to examine best options for the library’s future.
“It’s a review to determine if it’s feasible to relocate or to expand in our current location,” Gibson said.
The current location, in the Trail Memorial Centre, was intended only as a temporary site when the library was opened there more than five decades ago in 1957.
“We’ve had two referendums over the years, asking the public if the library should be moved and expanded. The response to both referendums was overwhelmingly positive.
“Right now, we have under 5,000 square feet, and that includes storage and the staff work room.”
She said the library simply doesn’t have the room it needs to fulfill its mandate.
“It’s more than just books – we offer programs and computers and events,” she said. “It’s a community hub, and we just don’t have the space.”
She said now is an excellent time to explore options, as library expansion would dovetail tidily with the city’s downtown revitalization program – and residents will get a chance to share their views on the library’s future.
“There will be an electronic survey and a public open house,” she said, adding it’s premature to set a completion date for the project, but they hope to start selecting dates and venues for the process on Friday.
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