Some Hastings Highlands councillors don’t think the municipality’s library is broken, so it doesn’t need to be fixed.
This comes after Southern Ontario Library Service Consultant Peggy Malcolm presented information to council about the union library model being pitched to communities in North Hastings. Malcolm says this would see two or more communities share a single library board and CEO. She says it would not reduce the amount of staff in the library, but give them more freedom to focus on members instead of administration.
However, some councillors are concerned about not having a CEO in-house. Councillor Alex Walder called a union library complicated and risky, and doesn’t see the benefits for the municipality. Walder says he is opposed to Hastings Highlands joining a union library.
A draft union library agreement was also presented to council, which sets out that Hastings Highlands would contribute $130,000 to the board, the highest of any other municipality. This is also how much the municipality currently contributes to its library, not including other expenses. Councillor Tracy Hagar says she is concerned because other municipalities would still want equal representation on the joint-board.
Hagar says she is not satisfied a union board would benefit the Hastings Highlands Public Library, which is in a good position right now. Council has not yet taken an official stance on whether or not it would like the see the municipality take part
