Langdon residents still waiting on answers about library proposal

A group of residents in Langdon are determined to open a library.

They've secured books, seating and computers, but are still on the hunt for space within their southern Alberta hamlet.

The Langdon Library Society's first pick, an old fire hall, was deemed too pricey by Rocky View County (RVC) administrators to fix up.

In the end, at a June meeting, councillors voted to have administration work with the Langdon Library Society on funding sources and a suitable location and space for a library.

"We're in a community of 5,500 people, and most communities half this size would have a library," said society treasurer Chris Haggith.

"We're disappointed, but we're hopeful."

The group presented a business case hoping the county could move quickly and approve work on the hamlet's old fire hall in April.

But RVC administrators said that location won't work because it is still being used by the county and would also need costly indoor and outdoor upgrades to be suitable as a community space. 

President Debra Carrobourg said she's meeting with the county soon to keep the momentum going.

Her big hope is that the county can share some of their cost estimates and explain why it's so different from the research her group has already done.

Another pressing matter is a $150,000 donation — books, shelving, computers and more — from the Municipality of Cereal, which will dissolve and permanently close its library this year.

Donation storage still a question

Administration's presentation to RVC councillors didn't address how that generous and time-sensitive donation could be stored until a suitable site is ready.

The collection will only stay on hold for Langdon, but the hamlet needs to find a space to store it, and it can't wait indefinitely.

"It's a library and a box," Carrobourg said. "There's a lot of logistics on moving a library, right? 

"We got to make sure that the place that we pick for storage are well-maintained and well-monitored and that sort of thing."

So far, the group has leads on donated space within Langdon to store the library supplies.

Even a farmer is willing to lend a hand with the move but Carrobourg said they have a small window to use that equipment before harvest begins. 

Councillor eager to move the project forward

Division 4 councillor Al Schule is eager to get this project moving.

He said Langdon is long overdue for space where residents can gather together. 

"We need all kinds of space here. We're so limited for any kind of space," Schule said.

"We have a couple of seniors' clubs that also have no place to go … that's probably my number one priority left to do since I got back on council."

But still, getting a space and figuring out the budget along with other logistics take time.

"I do believe, I know the group is working very hard to look at grants, so is there a potential of grants," Schule said.

"We need to look at all that first but I would suspect that we'll be getting a report, I would hope, this month, so we can come up with a move forward solution."