Bookworms in the Southern Otonabee ward will be pleased with the Peterborough Public Library, which just celebrated the opening of a new branch in the Miskin Law Community Centre (MLCC). Starting February 18th, residents are welcome to browse, borrow, and make the MLCC location their preferred branch for holds and orders.
On the morning of the opening, Otonabee Ward Councillor Lesley Parnell greeted visitors to the MLCC branch, and avid users took to the stacks as visitors mingled with library staff.
Library staff are excited to share the new space, especially with youth and seniors, with the location featuring an entirely new collection of graphic novels, large print books, and special editions.
With more than 10,000 new books in circulation, the orientation of the collection was purely considered as a result of the branch’s location and the intended core users of the community center.
“We're hoping to take advantage of the foot traffic in the building and the community nature of the centre,” Library CEO Jennifer Jones told Arthur on February 18th. “There's definitely more of a youth focus on this branch.
“We've got a really big young adult/teen collection, and a great children's corner, so there's definitely a lot of space for children and youth, but definitely there still are books for adults.”
After the closure of the DelaFosse branch in 2022, the library identified a growing need for service coverage also catered towards seniors.
“The DelaFosse was in the senior neighborhood with a lot more senior books,” Jones said.
After a hectic development and deployment of the new branch, Jones is relieved but optimistic about the future of the library’s operations and service scope. The Library is also keen on expanding its standalone kiosk services, and hopefully adding new branches to the City in future.
“This was a serendipitous event where we were able to get a branch in quickly, which is actually phenomenal,” Jones laughed.
“I'd love to see a branch in all four corners of Peterborough, and keep the downtown as the main. It would be great to see the entire city be fully covered with library services.”
Prior to its opening on February 18, Arthur toured the new branch, still under construction, as Community Engagement & Marketing Coordinator Becky Waldman and Library CEO Jennifer Jones led media around the new location.
“We’re seeing lots of new inventory, plus some popular favourites that came from the main branch,” Waldman told media on February 14. “We’re seeing a lot more special editions with sprayed edges, which are very, very beautiful.”
Waldman guided media throughout new sections of the branch, including new popular “BookTok” oriented sections of romantasy and crossover genres.
Waldman also spoke to the need for a second location to best service the City’s needs, especially in light of the DelaFosse branch’s closure.
“The DelaFosse was old and accessibility was really an issue,” Waldman said. “We had this building that was very beautiful, but wasn't accessible. For us to do any kind of upgrades to make it accessible, the use didn’t warrant it.”
“When it comes to being inclusive and accessible, that has to be our number one priority.” Waldman continued. “This new space really allows for that.”
Accessibility features of the MLCC include soundproofing, widened aisles, and the option to have low-lighting. With these additions, the Library has been planning dedicated hours of operation with low lighting and low sound for people with sensorial and cognitive disabilities.
While the MLCC branch has no scheduled events at the time of writing, future programming will also be geared towards youth and families. The Library hopes to have a firm schedule come its Spring season, but CEO Jennifer Jones still shared her hopes and ideas for branch-specific activities.
“This branch space will probably also have a storytime once a week, as we usually do,” Jones told Arthur February 18th.
“We do have some programming plans for the MLCC multipurpose room,” Jones said. “Three days a week is what we're starting with, but not until the spring, as we want some time to get settled in and work with our programming routine.”
Additional services offered by the Library, like its Kits and Parks Passes, will also be available at the MLCC location. Starting in March, the Library will also begin offering family day passes to the Canadian Canoe Museum.
The MLCC Branch currently follows the same hours as the Main Library:
For more information on the MLCC Branch, visit the newly launched Peterborough Public Library website or follow their Facebook page for updates.
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