Churchill library to close next month. Korah branch survives at least another year

After half a century building the east end's finest minds, the Churchill Plaza branch library will forever close on December 9.

The closing date, little more than five weeks away, was set at a special meeting last night of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library Board.

But buried in the fine print of the library's 2017 budget, approved in principle at the same meeting, is an unforeseen pleasant surprise for patrons of the Korah branch library in the Northern Community Centre.

The new budget keeps the popular Korah library at 556 Goulais Avenue open until the end of December, 2017 with equivalent staffing levels and budget.

And Director of Public Libraries Roxanne Toth-Rissanen hopes to maintain that situation indefinitely beyond 2017, even though City Council ordered last week that it be closed.   

Well, almost closed.

Council, which has final say over all library decisions involving leases and land purchases, indeed voted to close the Korah library, to allow the space to be used for seniors programming that will be transferred from the soon-to-close Steelton Seniors Centre.

Bigger than a breadbox?

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October 17, 2016

Mayor C. Provenzano

City of Sault Ste. Marie, ON

P6A 5X6

Dear Mayor Provenzano,

It has come to the attention of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library Board (SSMPLB) from a phone call to the chief executive officer/director of public libraries from the deputy chief administrative officer/city clerk that the last report submitted by the board did not contain a recommendation from the SSMPLB concerning the Korah Branch and the Steelton Seniors Centre. It is not within the SSMPLB's authority or jurisdiction to recommend to council what another city department should be doing.

The Sault Ste. Marie Library staff and board members have had several meetings with various city staff and administration to collaborate and cooperate in order to provide quality library services to our community. Several reports and emails have been prepared and submitted, including the latest report which addressed the information requested in the motion from council:

"Whereas the library board has provided a report to council which outlines the costs of each library site and the potential benefits of having a new library site at the old Alexander Henry school in cooperation with Algoma District School Board; and

"Whereas it is important that council have all the necessary information in order to fulfill its obligation to determine and set the level of service,

"Now therefore be it resolved that council direct city staff, in conjunction with the library board to report on the effects, positive and negative of having either two or three library sites in the City of Sault Ste. Marie, including potential options for an archive at one of those branches."

At every step of the process, the SSMPLB is presented with a new hurdle which it has satisfied; yet this work never seems to get to council. The Public Libraries Act (Sec. 19.1) requires council to make decisions related to property matters; until a decision is made, the SSMPLB is unable to respond to a potential partnership opportunity or set a budget for 2017.

The SSMPLB continues to be cooperative and responsive to any and all requests from council.

A decision on the property matter is urgent.

Respectfully submitted,

Chris Rous, chair

On behalf of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library Board

Cc       City councillors

            Deputy chief administrative officer/ city clerk

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Can all of the Steelton Senior Centre's programming and a full-service library really be squeezed into the Northern Community Centre?

After two meetings with the city's recreation and culture staff, Roxanne Toth-Rissanen is convinced they can.

"It might take a different way for the community to look at it. But I really do believe it can."

"We're looking at it as a flowing space," she says. "Not just a library and not just a senior's centre, but a community hub."

There probably won't be a senior centre with walls and a door, then a separate library with walls and door of its own.

Imagine a combined space, with seniors supervising children and teens teaching seniors how to use technology.

"It offers us so many opportunities that sometimes when you're in a silo, you don't get. Until you get this opportunity and you can re-envision everything," Toth-Rissanen says.

Reorganized collections, smaller space

"That's really how library services are going — those community hubs. We've been offering programs at the Steelton Seniors Centre for two months."

"The library, what we offer to the community, isn't going to change. The programming for teens, for children, for adults and for seniors won't change at the location. The collections that we have there will be reorganized and put in another location in that area."

"I'm so looking forward to it. I think it's such a brilliant opportunity for us and for our community to look at how we could offer library services with the seniors centre working with the city."

Although the new Korah library will be somewhat smaller, Toth-Rissanen doesn't foresee a reduction in staffing. 

"Libraries are people-rich locations," she says. "Even when you've got 1,000 square feet, or 5,000 square feet or 25,000 square feet, you still need people there. You need the professional people who are there to help children who are learning to read, adults who are learning to read."

New Northern Avenue branch

Library officials are now expected to conclude negotiations with Algoma District School Board for a new Northern branch library in the former Henry site on Northern Avenue.

"I've already contacted the interior designer that we used for the Korah Branch," Toth-Rissanen tells SooToday.

"I just need to make some time so we can get in there and look at the space and start planning it out. It's a long process. It's not just something that you can whip together."

The 2017 budget is $40,272 less than this year, from which the savings will be applied to renovations at the waterfront Centennial Library.

"We have closed a branch, but the only savings we are realizing is not very much," commented Toni Nanne-Little.

She was advised that the budget presentation didn't take into account savings from the closure of Churchill branch, including the costly lease payments.

Other recent Sault Ste. Marie Public Library news:

• The library has been advised that it will receive $100,000 over two years from the Canada 150 Communities Infrastructure Program. The grant cash will be used for upgrades to washrooms and carpeting in the Centennial Library.

• Last month, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library held a recognition event for 58 volunteers who donated a total of 2,908 hours over the past year, as well as donors and sponsors who provided $8,566 for programs and services.

• The downtown Centennial Library will host its second Paint Nite on Wednesday, November 16.

• The library's new self-checkout system will be in place by March, 2017.