When Newmarket Deputy Mayor’s Tom Vegh’s idea for a new library on the former Hollingsworth Arena lands stalled, he made a statement on Facebook.
“The debate over the need for a new public library is long over. The only question now is where and when,” Vegh said in 2019 in response to a NewmarketToday story.
But after campaigning on the issue of a new library building in 2018, he acknowledge a new library isn't planned for the immediate future, with no mention of it in the library’s newest strategic plan presentation Feb. 14. The library is instead focusing on ways to improve its current space and increase outreach programming.
But Vegh said the building remains a problem and is impacting programming. He said the pandemic curtailed efforts to explore a new library building.
“These are challenges with the building, and it’s not a reflection on the library board, it’s not a reflection of the staff there,” Vegh said.
The current building on Park Avenue dates back to 1956, with an expansion in the 1970s. The town is collecting development charges for the library, now totalling $3.8 million, which the town said could be used for a new library building, or different enhancements or additional spaces.
The board’s 2022-2025 strategic plan is eyeing ways to improve the existing space to be more customer-friendly. They also seek to run programming in other parts of town to reach different communities.
Board member Darryl Gray said their focus remained on service improvements rather than on a new building.
“We didn’t go straight to the idea of a new library because we (have) a great library right now to continue to work on,” he said. “We felt strongly that we needed to be part of the community.”
He said doing outreach programming is not necessarily because the existing space cannot achieve that, but because they want to be out in the community beyond the building’s walls.
But he said they are committed to improving the building they have.
“If we’re not continually improving that space, then we’re not doing our job as a board,” Gray said.
Newmarket Mayor John Taylor said he is excited by the library’s future-focused efforts.
“As people change how they access information, we must innovate in how we deliver services as a town and a library. I look forward to the work ahead to re-imagine what a library can do and what a library can be,” Taylor said.
However, library benchmarks are falling behind comparable facilities. The presentation to council Feb. 14 highlighted Newmarket was below average in per capita financial support, materials expenditure per capita, hours open per week, staffing ratios per capita and population served per branch.
Vegh said space limitations contribute to that. He said staffing ratios are hurt by having three floors, which can create inefficiencies in staffing all of them.
“We’re limited in our hours of access to the library and what types of programming we can do there,” Vegh said.
Gray said new library CEO Tracy Munusami will explore new benchmarks that better fit Newmarket.
“Using strictly space-based measurements don’t necessarily reflect where we want to go as an organization,” he said.
Although the library board could advocate for a new building, whether it happens is up to the town and its council. Vegh said a new library likely would have been explored this term as part of a facility needs task force, but he said the pandemic halted it soon after it got underway.
“COVID-19 came, and then we had different priorities. That didn’t really go anywhere this term. It will be introduced next term,” Vegh said. “That was unfortunate.”
Vegh said the library’s strategic actions could highlight the need for a new space in the future. But he stressed that he respects the board, its plan, and its efforts to improve programming.
He said there are several challenges in building a new library, such as finding the location and cost.
“There’s also a bit of feeling that the library is not used by a lot of people,” Vegh said.
Libraries adapting to the digital age is also a point of concern, with technology’s increased importance. Library staff and council noted citizens turning more to the internet for information.
“We know libraries were changing for the past 20 years,” Vegh said. “You don’t want to go ahead and build something that has not adapted to the changes that are coming.”
Gray said he could not speak to what might happen beyond his term on the board, or whether or not a new library is needed beyond the 2025 strategic plan. He said the board's focus is on more immediate improvements.
He also said libraries are changing.
“The libraries of the future are going to be different than the libraries of the past.”
