GuelphToday received the following letter addressed to local councillors regarding the current library situation:
Dear councillors
I am writing in support of the proposed library at Baker Street. I write as a longtime library user, a former chair of the board and as a member of the indigenous community of Guelph.
I am sure that you are aware that the current building is too small, dangerous and not accessible without huge investments of cash. For 20 years we have stressed the facts that a new main building is needed to ensure access, to handle the needed infrastructure to maintain the branch system and to ensure that we keep the highly qualified staff we currently employ. I will remind you that the branches do not maintain books and AV material, nor do the processing, maintain inventory and all the other mundane but necessary tasks to keep a system operating efficiently. In 2000, the best professional advice was, that to meet the population growth in Guelph for the next 25 years, a 100,000 sq ft. building was needed. To downsize from 88,000 sq ft means that you either expect the city to shrink in population or you wish the library to do less.
One tactic to do less would be for the library to offer all archival material to Wellington County Museum or the Guelph Museum. That would eliminate some space and at least one staff position. To further save money the library board could eliminate all rental locations as they are the most expensive part of the current operation. That might free up enough money to allow a modest 60,000 sq. ft building to be built. A new south end branch could be added to the south end rec centre and the current east end branch is already in city owned facilities.
I hope you will consider these options if you are unwilling to follow the advice that you have paid for in the many reports that have been completed in the last 20 years.
The indigenous community has worked very hard to develop a relationship with the library. Your actions will imperil that work if we do not adequate, accessible meeting space for reconciliation work.
With Respect,
Tehotsienhate
Guelph
