A union library board is not the best path for Wollaston at this time.
That’s according to a presentation made by the Wollaston Public Library Board during Tuesday’s council meeting. The library board is recommending that council not support the union library.
The idea is being pitched to Wollaston, Bancroft, Carlow-Mayo, Faraday, and Hastings Highlands by the Southern Ontario Library Service. If approved, it would mean a single board, CEO, bookkeeper, and processing clerk for libraries in all five communities.
However, Wollaston’s library board has a number of concerns with the proposed union model. The first is that each community would send their share of funding to one CEO, which could result in fewer hours and resources at the library in Wollaston. SOLS has said services would not be affected.
Wollaston’s board also recognizes that the community’s library needs to move, as the current building doesn’t have running water, and has poor insulation. The concern is that the union board would not be responsible for finding a new home for the community’s library.
This would not be the first union library for Wollaston. Until about a year ago, it shared a board with Limerick for over a decade. When Limerick pulled out, Wollaston had to create a new board, policies, and a budget.
Reeve Graham Blair says it’s not that council doesn’t support the union library model; it’s that it’s not the right step for the township right now. He says council could look into the idea in the future.