The board in charge of the St. Albert Public Library has officially thrown its support behind the mayor’s vision for a new civic building downtown.
On Thursday, the board announced it preferred Mayor Nolan Crouse’s idea for a 60,000-sq.-ft. library on the corner of St. Thomas Street and St. Anne Street, as opposed to opening a branch elsewhere in the city.
“We have … officially endorsed the idea of moving across the street into a proposed civic building — we’re going to support that vision from here on,” said board chair Kelly Aisenstat.
Crouse proposed the idea of the new library location earlier this month as a part of his overall vision to invigorate St. Albert’s downtown. Nothing has been approved, however the mayor’s proposed civic building would also provide office space for city staff that are currently crammed in St. Albert Place.
Aisenstat said the board favoured the mayor’s vision over a branch location because it would be cheaper to run and potentially cost taxpayers less.
“This seems like a logical and, we hope, viable choice for the library to move somewhere and also keep operating costs down, they will be less than if they operate two locations,” Aisenstat said.
But the kicker, he said, is the civic building will provide double the space the library currently has in city hall.
The library has 100,000 books in its collection and was originally designed to serve a population of 50,000 — figures it exceeded nearly a decade ago.
The library is also busier than ever, said Aisenstat. Membership numbers are up 6.5 per cent so far in 2009 compared to the year before. Overall visits were up 7.5 per cent in 2008 compared to 2007, he said.
When website visits are included, the library had more than a half-million visits in 2008, and Aisenstat said if the trend continues he projects a “banner” year.
Coun. Roger Lemieux also backs the idea of a new library building downtown, saying a branch location never made sense to begin with.
“I’ve never talked to anybody that would like a branch library,” Lemieux said. “It just doesn’t make any sense for double the operating costs.”
Possible locations for a branch were narrowed to three places last year — the Badger lands north of Villeneuve Road, a site directly north of Erin Ridge and another in South Riel at the future Hole’s Greenhouse site.
The project was estimated to cost $20 million and a feasibility study is due back to council on Monday.
Neither Aisenstat nor Lemieux believe a new library will be built any time soon. Both said they are willing to entertain various options, but Aisenstat maintains that the mayor’s vision makes the most sense.
“We’ll take what option city council thinks is best,” Aisenstat said. “[But] we agree that this one seems better for the taxpayers.”
