As donations begin pouring in for the annual Giant Book Sale, the chair of the Friends of Guelph Public Library says it is a waste of money for city council to scale back the new main library only a few years before construction is expected to begin.
Last month, city staff recommended the city investigate downsizing the library to 65,000 square feet from the originally approved 88,000 square foot draft design, while reducing the cost by more than $10 million.
“The current library has been inadequate for 25 or 30 years, so to reduce the new one to the size they are proposing would only build what we should have had 10 years ago,” said Virginia Gillham, chair of the Friends of Guelph Public Library.
“We are supposed to be doing this for the future, right? That would be too small almost as soon as it is finished. It’s a ridiculous waste of money,” said Gillham. “I am really discouraged that whenever anybody wants money, the first thing they look to cut is the library. There are other ways to trim expenses without going after the library.”
In May, the city hosted an open house which included a models of the design stages for the main library. At the event, Helen Loftin, general manager Business Development and Enterprise with the City of Guelph, said shovels could be in the ground by 2023.
That was before city staff came back asking for the project to be downsized, in part, because the final cost would be millions of dollars more than first expected. Gillham said that request was buried in a city council agenda.
“I am astonished that the motion was able to make it’s way all the way to the city council agenda without the courtesy of passing it by (the library president) or the library board,” said Gillham. “As a previous manager in my life I can’t imagine someone working for me doing that. It’s horrifying.”
This year marks the thirteenth anniversary of the annual book sale, which has so far raised over $743,000 toward the new library. It has raised more than $100,000 each year for the past four years.
“We need two or possibly three more book sales to make it to a million dollars. We are that close,” said Gillham.
Many of the 8,000 people who buy books each year are doing so to support the new library project, said Gillham. She worries the sale won’t have the same support in the future
“We have so many supporters and we have been going at it for so long, to pull the rug out from under them at this point — they are going to lose all of their support, no question. People are just fed up if this happens,” said Gillham.
Tuesday, Aug. 6 is the first day donations can be dropped off at the 69 Huron Street location. Donations are being accepted every day except Sunday and Labour Day, from 2 to 5 p.m.
Items that can be donated include: books, sheet music, CDs, DVDs, cassette tapes, games and puzzles.
Donations can also be dropped off at any of the city’s library branches during regular business hours.
Volunteers will courier the donated books from the library branches to 69 Huron.
“I could use a couple of more (volunteers),” said Gillham. “If there is anyone out there looking for a volunteer activity — visiting a library branch two or three times a week for six weeks is a way to do it.”
