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October 25, 2016 - 7:00 PM
ARMSTRONG – The Okanagan Regional Library is looking for $20,000 to furnish the new Armstrong branch.
Staff at the branch in the Askew’s Shopping Mall found themselves in a space crunch due to rising demand.
“It’s becoming increasingly clear that our current space isn’t meeting all the needs of the community,” librarian Julie White says in a media release.
An agreement with the mall’s owner, David Askew, means the branch will be relocating to the former video store in the shopping centre. Renovations at the new location are expected to begin next month, with staff hoping to move into their new digs early in the New Year.
The Okanagan Regional Library isn’t saying how much the move, which will give the branch an extra 700 square feet, will cost taxpayers.
The District of Spallumcheen is buying $17,500 worth of furnishings for the new location.
“Our entire council sees the value of this move because we know that literacy and learning are an important foundation for success in life,” Spallumcheen mayor Janice Brown says in the release.
The library has begun fundraising for another $20,000 needed for shelving, seating, meeting room furniture, a front desk and furnishings for an area to use and charge electronic devices like smart phones or tablets.
“The way people use the library is evolving. It’s not just about lending books and eBooks anymore,” Okanagan Regional Library CEO Stephanie Hall says in the release. “More and more, people look to the library to play a role in advancing learning and creativity.”
Local service groups and the City of Armstrong will be asked for donations to raise the extra money needed for furnishings.
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