The Citizen, 2002-07-10, Page 24Help for Today.
Hope for Tomorrow.
Alzheimer Society
Hot doggin'
Blyth Festival paid tribute to the Huron Tourism Association with a special community night on
Wednesday. Marg Webster was serving up hot dogs prior to a preview performance of
Douglas Bowie's Goodbye Piccadilly. (Bonnie Gropp photo)
Pictured left to right: Chris Lammerant, Heather,
Ryan, Scott, Jack & Matthew Van Dorp
Repairs to all makes & models
of cars & trucks
Tr
PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 2002.
Consultant recommends library closures
By Keith Roulston
Citizen publisher
A consultant has recommended
Huron County close five small
libraries including those in Auburn
and Bluevale while upgrading the
remaining libraries.
County Librarian Beth Ross prom-
ised county council Thursday that
the Strategic Plan, prepared by Jim
Morgenstern of dmA Planning and
Management Services, was just the
first step in a long process before the
plan was adopted. In August, the
Huron County Library Board would
begin consideration not only of
Morgenstern's recommendations but
of seven other possible models con-
tained in the report. County council
and the general public will also be
involved, she said.
Morgenstern recommended that
Level II libraries, like those in Blyth
and Brussels and Level I libraries,
like those in Clinton, Wingham and
Goderich, should have modest
upgrades in the short run and the
county in the long run look at the
possibility of even fewer libraries
with those remaining offering better
services.
"People will drive right by Level
III-and even some Level II libraries
to get the service they need," he said.
"In our view the best balance is to
close Level III libraries (like those in
Auburn and Bluevale) and upgrade
Level II libraries and Clinton (which
does not have access for handi-
capped people)."
Morgenstern estimated the cost of
upgrading the higher-tier libraries
would be $918,000 in building and
equipment costs with an additional
$45,000 a year in operating costs to
keep libraries open more hours.
But Paul -Klopp, Bluewater coun-
cillor said he thought closing
libraries was a step in the wrong
direction. Small libraries might not
be up to the standard of Toronto but
if Toronto (the province) wasn't
going to fund them, "maybe we have
to do it in a Huron County way."
But Morgenstern denied it was a
city-based report. "This report takes
you in the right direction," he said.
"Right now Level III libraries are
providing basically no service."
People -are looking to libraries for
more than just borrowing a book to
read, he argued. While traditional
library use will continue to grow
because of population growth and
aging-of a well-educated population,
people are -looking to libraries to
help them upgrade their skills in a
knowledge-based society. "These
services will require improved facil-
ities, greater staff support and better
access to the library," the report
says.
He also pointed out that 60 per
cent of Ontario residents now have
access to the internet and want to be
able to get information 24 hours a
day, seven days a week.
"If we don't meet people's expec-
tations, people will turn away from
public libraries," he warned, "then
support for libraries will decline."
The report sets a desirable level of
branch libraries being open at least
20 hours a week and have a mini-
mum of 1,000 square feet with a
minimum of 3,000 volumes and five
workstations per 1,000 population.
Currently Blyth and Brussels
libraries are each open 15 hours a
week. Blyth has only 969 square feet
while Brussels has 1,275. Blyth has
4,500 books, magazines, read-along
kits, music cassettes and videos
while Brussels has 5,500. Brussels
library's annual circulation in 1999
was 14,536 (down 15.9 per cent
since 1995) while Blyth's circulation
of 10,368 was lowest in the county
(and down 47 per cent).
at our
ew Location
2 miles south of Blyth at the corner of
London Road & Hullett McKillop Road
Elhank you to OWL loyal eue&-
tametto, (aft vatt4 patrtanage.
a maw, taeleatne to alt
new ettatatneta.
Jack Van Dorp - 523-9308