Council may approve repaving library lot

Posted Feb 9, 2012 By Derek Dunn

EMC News - Two library projects worth a combined $111,400 made it onto Arnprior town staff's wish list for council to consider during budget deliberations.

Chief librarian Karen DeLuca said a $6,000 furnace for the archives area is needed. Five of the seven furnaces in the building should be replaced "in the near future," DeLuca told council.

The other project would see the library and museum parking lot upgraded for $105,400. Right now it freezes and ponds too much, posing a safety risk.

However, a free-ranging discussion on technology and its effects on delivery of library services took more discussion time at the recent council meeting.

Reeve Walter Stack said loaning e-readers could mean less of a need for physical books and space in future.

The library has two e-readers now, allowing users to download the text of some 425 books, which expire after two weeks. It will spend $2,000 on e-resources, including e-audio files.

There are plenty of electrical outlets in newly renovated building, DeLuca told council, adding that library staff is even getting into teaching patrons how to use modern technology.

She relayed the story of an elderly woman who knew next to nothing about computers but whose new doctor communicated through email.

Staff helped her set up an email account, accessible at the library, creating a vital link between patient and physician.

"That was a warm fuzzy for us," DeLuca said.

"We felt good that we could help her."

The wait time for help with technology at the library is about two weeks, DeLuca indicated.

E-BOOKS

Coun. Mark Willmer said it isn't clear that e-books are the future and classic paper-bound books are destined for the dustbin. He said vinyl records and old books are making something of a resurgence among certain groups of young people.

In the library's budget notes, DeLuca compared value-for-money between Arnprior - at an operating budget of $322,518, or $2.50 per circulated item - with Renfrew - at an operating budget of $383,825, or $4.60 per item - and four other nearby libraries. All were well above Arnprior's cost per circulated item.

An average of 345 people walk through the library's doors on a daily basis.

A total of 27 non-profit groups use the meeting room for regular meetings, up 35 per cent in the last 18 months.

derek.dunn@metroland.com