A quest to find a new home for a west end St. John’s library has hit a snag but one advocate hopes a spot will be found soon.
Two months ago the Michael Donovan Public Library closed its doors at the Waterford Valley Mall on Topsail Road after its rental agreement ended.
As first reported by AllNewfoundlandLabrador, a tender issued by the provincial government for a new location didn’t receive any submissions.
“It’s frustrating and it’s disappointing. We know that there are people in the community who are without a library right now,” said Josh Smee, vice-chair of the non-profit advisory board Friends of the St. John’s Public Library.
Despite the library’s small size, he said it was a popular location with patrons.
“With the tender not succeeding, it’s just going to drag out the process,” Smee said, adding he believes there is still interest in reopening the library in the west end.
He added the library has been missed by patrons.
“It’s just a hard go for anyone who uses that library because it means that this goes a bit back to the drawing board,” Smee said, “And we wait and wait and wait some more.”
In a statement to CBC News, Department of Transportation and Infrastructure spokesperson Janelle Simms said the department is consulting with Newfoundland and Labrador Public Libraries to determine the next steps.
“It is important to note that the intention is for the library to remain in the west end of St. John’s,” she wrote.
Smee also has a message for landlords: “If folks are listening here and you have space in the west end of St. John’s, please pay attention to this process because it’s possible that we had potential hosts who just didn’t see or notice the tender.”
He hopes to see a revised tender that will be successful in the next round.
“You can’t understate how much people love their library in this community and how much work, amazing work, the library staff do, even when the physical space around them is pretty inadequate,” said Smee.
“People really miss having that branch there.”
This west end St. John’s library will soon shutter — and is on the hunt for a new home
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Juanette Anthony is a library patron and has felt the loss of the Michael Donovan Public Library, saying she also used it for its computer access.
“I found it very convenient, especially where I live around here,” she told CBC News.
Anthony said she would like to see it reopen in the same area in a larger space with more computers and books.
“I found it a bit small,” she said. “I do love books, so I use it a lot.”
Source: CBC Newfoundland and Labrador