Feasibility study for Marigold

Sharon McLeay
Times Contributor

 

Marigold Library system is running out of space and staff has needed to get creative to find work related solutions within a building badly in need of repair. They have reorganized work space, revamped shipping/receiving areas, replaced the roof and fixed infrastructure in attempts to do business as usual. Future delivery volumes and any new IT equipment and infrastructure might have to be limited if change is not forthcoming. The basement and roof structure also still need work.
To that end, the board is looking for avenues that will raise money for a new building.
“It is very difficult for us to secure money for various projects,” Michelle Toombs, Marigold Library Systems CEO.
Under the provincial Library Act, library systems are not allowed to borrow money. There has been a request put forward by the Alberta Urban Municipality Association to have the provincial government include an option for library systems to finance big projects like new library buildings.
To get a better picture of building costs, the Marigold Library System is developing a feasibility study. It is expected to be completed sometime in November 2016. There will be comparisons for maintenance and expansion of the existing building, adding additional off-site facilities, or building a new building at a new site.
Toombs expects a new building would cost about four to six million dollars; however, the study will give a more accurate picture of the funding needed and available options. The library system has started saving towards a new building, but significant fundraising would be needed to make the new building a reality.
She said that they are hoping for a facility of about 20,000 square feet, with bays for the library delivery van fleet and adequate space for technical equipment, which currently is severely cramped. The current building was built in the 1950’s and has many infrastructure and maintenance issues. There has been some encouragement by the province to have library systems form partnerships with other organizations and municipalities, and Toombs said the board doesn’t object to hearing about partnership ideas.
Marigold Library System serves 290,263 residents in Southern Alberta and has 37 member public libraries, along with 12 book deposits. Six vans are used to visit and deliver materials to each of the member libraries and book deposits once a week.