Major makeover for library

BY ANDY BLATCHFORD

andy.blatchford@transcontinental.ca

Pointe Claire bookworms stocked up on borrowed titles last week in anticipation for the 47-day closure of the city’s Central Library, which started Monday.

The Douglas Shand Avenue building will undergo $240,000 worth of renovations, beginning a new chapter for the 33-year-old institution.

Library washrooms will be reconfigured for wheelchair access, new doors will be installed in the main entrance, a 24-hour book chute for audiovisual material will be added and floors will be re-carpeted, director Céline Laperrière said.

“It’s a huge project for sure,� she said.

When the library re-opens, the children’s circulation desk will be used for membership and general inquiries. All items can be borrowed from the main desk, said Laperrière, who expects to see an end to confusion over where to bring returns.

“In the 1970s when the library was built, it was not surprising to have two circulation desks,� she said. “But now, with everything automated, it will be more efficient to have only one.�

Mayor Bill McMurchie said the renovations will bring “substantial modifications� to the library. The tab will be paid by Pointe Claire, he added.

“The city has a policy of maintaining its capital assets, but this is a little bit bigger program than we have undertaken before,� McMurchie said.

In 1994, two extensions were added— a reference room and children’s section — to the library, Laperrière said.

Last week, members were busy borrowing material before the doors closed.

The library broke its one-day record for loans with over 4,000 last Wednesday. The next day, more than 3,000 items were checked out, Laperrière said.

“We had a big rush,� she said Monday morning. “We were encouraging people to borrow.�

Regulars may miss the service during the closure, but there is a perk, she said.

Books are only due back after the construction phase, which is scheduled to run until Feb. 23. Normally, borrowers are asked to adhere to a three-week loan period or face fines of 25 cents a day for each book.

During the renovation period, borrowers can return material to the Central Library book chute or the Valois public library branch (which will be open seven days a week during construction) at 68 Prince Edward Avenue.

Valois has two stations where members can access free Internet or they can show their cards and log on at libraries in Dorval, Beaconsfield, Kirkland and Dollard des Ormeaux.