Region of Waterloo Library wants to pop-up in rural townships
If approved, Pop-Up Library Pilot Project aims to launch in spring, 2017
The Region of Waterloo Library (RWL) wants to deliver library services to four different townships in the region that don't have their own library through a new project called the Pop-Up Library Pilot Project.
They hope that by spring of 2017, the townships of Wilmot, North Dumfries, Wellesley and Woolwich will have a pop-up library branch in St.Agatha, Branchton, Hawkesville and Breslau.
The Region of Waterloo Library provides services to the region's townships and rural areas, which are widespread. It can be difficult for some users to get to other communities where there is an existing library branch.
"We spoke with the mayors of each township to get their recommendation as to where they hear their citizens want service," Kelly Bernstein, manager of library services for the Region of Waterloo Library told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo on The Morning Edition.
"We want to do this to expand our reach to be able to have services closer to where people live," said Bernstein.
How it works
An individual staff member will be at a community centre in each township, delivering programs catered to the community.
People will also benefit from library services such as picking up books and DVDs that they have previously placed on hold through the library catalogue.
RWL suggested the idea to Regional Council in October, and took the next two months to finalize the project and to present it again at the budget meeting on Tuesday.
It won't be until Dec.14 when Bernstein and her team will know for sure if the project will be endorsed.
If it does, the Pop-Up Library Pilot Project will begin in the spring of 2017 and run until the end of the year.