Killarney library gets facelift

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This article was published 24/09/2020 (1825 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Lakeland Regional Library remained closed to the public throughout the month of August so staff and volunteers could conduct some much-needed renovations.

These improvements included installing new carpet and slapping a fresh coat of paint on the walls for the first time in decades, said library administrator Krista Law.

“The library was fairly dated,” she said on Sept. 11. “I think the last time it had had a facelift was in the early ‘90s. So it had this sort of beige wallboard everywhere and I knew we couldn’t afford to change it out with drywall, but I figured we could paint over it, and it was very effective.”

The cost for the updates wasn’t a major concern for Law since the carpet was paid for with support from the Municipality of Killarney-Turtle Mountain and a grant from Manitoba’s Building Sustainable Communities program.

Meanwhile, the paint, primer, rollers and brushes were all supplied through the Boundary Co-op’s Communities in Full Colour program.

Now, not only does the interior look brighter because of these changes, but Law said her staff of approximately 20 volunteers also took this opportunity — with most of the shelving and books out of the way for the incoming carpet and paint — to re-arrange the layout of the space.

“When you’re doing a big move like that it’s a perfect opportunity to declutter, so we definitely tidied things up — things that naturally accumulate over the years,” she said.

Still, Law admitted it was difficult having the building closed for three weeks as public libraries have become an invaluable lifeline for Westman families throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We had been doing curb-side pickup since May and we were able to reopen to the public at the beginning of June,” she said. “So we were open for two months before we closed again, and as much as I didn’t want to close again at least this time we were able to give people notice.”

When Lakeland finally re-opened its doors on Aug. 25, Law said that big delay was worth it based on their patrons’ feedback.

“The public reaction’s been terrific,” she said. “A lot of people have said ‘it seems bigger’ and it’s not. It’s just that by brightening up we’ve given the illusion that it’s a little bit bigger.”

Despite this new-and-improved interior space, Law said she’s still going to play it safe moving forward and abide by the province’s health and safety guidelines by limiting the library’s occupancy to five people at a time. Patrons are also required to wear masks at all times.

With this in mind, Law still has her eye on expansion in the future, hoping to add an addition to the building that could better accommodate younger families.

“That’s a very, very big job,” she said. “So I’m not sure if or when that would happen, but that’s the ultimate dream: to give us a little more space for families and kids.”

The Lakeland Regional Library recently celebrated its 60th anniversary, having originally opened in Killarney on Sept. 3, 1959.

 

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