Members of the Gibsons and District Library Foundation presented representatives of the library board’s reconfiguration committee with a cheque for $35,000 on Thursday, July 7. Other project funding received from the SCRD, the Sunshine Coast Community Foundation, the Sunshine Coast Credit Union’s community fund, and the library’s own reserves will fund the building interior’s redesign to make more efficient use of available space and resources. The library will be closed from Aug. 12 to 26 while work is completed, reopening Aug. 27.
In 2003 when the library board first began looking at expansion options, the estimated cost of the building’s replacement ranged from $2 to $4 million. Replacement costs have not dropped, and both the SCRD and library boards agreed that repair and reconfiguration of the existing structure would be a more economic option. With repairs to its cresting-wave roofline complete, the Gibsons and District Library now moves forward with reconfiguring the interior: replacing flooring, repositioning shelving; reestablishing the computer workspace; and relocating the customized circulation desk.
Since 2001, the Gibsons and District Library Foundation’s annual grants for projects and programs beyond the scope of government core funding provided enhanced facilities, materials and equipment. The foundation receives gifts, bequests, funding and property, which it invests and distributes according to its mandate – with a stated goal to provide a legacy of literacy for the Sunshine Coast community.
“We offer residents an opportunity to leave a meaningful legacy of literacy,” noted foundation chair Heather Jeal. “The role of libraries in our society is changing, and they are more relevant than ever. For the past 15 years, the foundation has worked to make sure our library continues to evolve and meet the needs of all its patrons.”
