Sooke’s new $6-million library will have users going in circles because of its unusual design aimed at creating an easy-to-use, friendly space.
“It is going to be a quite different library for our system,” said Barry Avis, chairman of the Vancouver Island Regional Library.
Natural materials, such as wood, will be used in the open-concept library, and it will be lined with tall windows to bring in plenty of light, Avis said.
“Libraries have changed over the years. They are more welcoming as compared to just bricks and mortar. We try to make them so they are friendly to everyone.”
Most of the larger libraries, including the one planned for Sooke, are built with fireplaces to give people a cosy place to gather.
“A library is a huge part of our social system,” Avis said.
Community consultation was critical in developing the Sooke building, he said. Individual libraries are built to suit their particular communities.
The Waddams Way site was donated by the municipality, Avis said.
Sooke is among 39 branches in the library system, serving 430,000 people from Haida Gwaii, B.C.’s Central Coast and on Vancouver Island. The Greater Victoria Public Library is not part of the Island system.
The Vancouver Island Regional Library’s annual budget is about $35 million, with the bulk of the funds from municipalities, Avis said. B.C. contributes about four per cent of the budget.
A development permit application for the 10,000-square-foot building should be submitted to the District of Sooke by month’s end, said David Carson, spokesman for the Island system.
He anticipates a building permit will go to the district about three months later. From there, a public bidding process will take place for a contractor.
The new building is nearly three times larger than Sooke’s existing library. It will have more space for meetings, programs and collections, and library users will be able to be outdoors on the site as well.
Along with other communities in the capital region, Sooke’s population is growing and it needs a larger library. New technologies will be brought in. Special historical and First Nations collections will be in place by the opening.
The information desk will be in the centre of the building as part of the effort to connect people, Carson said.
Sooke’s new library is among a number of initiatives to upgrade facilities on Vancouver Island.
The Sidney-North Saanich branch is going through a $2-million renovation, which includes a fireplace-lounge area, new furniture and shelves, floors and air conditioning system, lights, paint and additional computers. The project will be finished in June 2019. While renovations are going on, a temporary location will open on Sunday at Unit 1A - 2353 Bevan Ave. Pop-up libraries are planned.
Chemainus is getting a new 5,000-square-foot library — with a fireplace — at the corner of Cypress and Willow streets at a cost of $2.25 million. Building permits have been approved and construction is expected to start this year, Carson said.
As well, plans are being developed with a local engineering firm to develop modular structures which can be scaled to the size of a community, he said.
Modular libraries are planned for the small Island communities of Sayward, Woss and Tahsis. They will include books and magazines, bigger reading collections and upgraded technology.
