670 replies to this topic

[G-Man]

Perhaps when we are in 70's we will be able tohang out in the new library.

[victorian fan]

Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin said it's still a "top priority" for the city.

Forget the bridge. Spend $21 million on a new library.

"top priority" my eye

[Holden West]

Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin said it's still a "top priority" for the city.

When everything is a "top priority", then nothing can be a top priority.

[aastra]

Getting the city's priorities straight should be a top priority.

[Ms. B. Havin]

The key piece in that article is this:

The library board serves 10 municipalities: Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, View Royal, Central Saanich, Colwood, Langford, the Highlands and Metchosin. Board representatives on the board are largely councillors or mayors from each municipality. They tend to look out for what is best for their own communities, Anderson said, not the region as a whole.


"There is no incentive because of the political makeup of the board," she said. "Whatever discretionary money there is, politicians would rather spend in their own backyard. They are rewarded for that, rather than for taking a regional view."

I'm involved with regional initiatives/ volunteer gigs, and I can tell you that Sandra Anderson's comment is bang-on. At the end of the day, Saanich or Oak Bay or any of the rest of them (their reps on these boards) want to be able to "go home" to their munis to say "we brought home the goodies."

They can't sit there without eventually thinking, "Well, if Victoria gets a shiny new building, what good is that for Saanich (or whichever muni)? I don't want Victoria to be the 'winner' if it means my muni is the 'loser,' so I better not agree to anything that would see greater success or prestige or funding go to Victoria."

And so it goes, on and on and on.

Granted, there are many enlightened municipal reps who sit on these regional boards, but it just takes one or two "fighters" (politicians looking out for "their" muni) to wreck anything that makes one muni look better than the other. And since Victoria is the region's downtown, Victoria is usually the muni that the others feel they need to fight, since it's the one that tends to get the attention and money.

It often gets to be really quite disheartening and hopeless-seeming.

[VicHockeyFan]

Perhaps when we are in 70's we will be able tohang out in the new library.

I'm designing my POD so it fits inside a standard door so I can zoo right into the library. Not that I'll need a library in 100 years.

[Caramia]

What Ms B says is true, The library board is famous for it's parochial behaviour. Funding isn't the only obstacle at hand. Municipal rivalries will also have to be overcome in order to get our City a decent Central Library. The one we have now is a shame to us all.

[Bingo]

They missed the boat on a new library when they couldn't find a way to move it into the old Hudson Bay building. The Art Gallerys hunt for more space is a similar story.

But we can build a new unnecessary bridge, at their expense.

[Bingo]

...is branching out.

The Greater Victoria Public Library is branching out with a massive 15-year $60-million plan to meet the changing needs of users.

for more info

http://www.bclocalne...s/79268287.html

I think the funding needed could be borrowed with a low interest loan similar to the one the city is attempting to get for a new bridge. Or just refurbish the present bridge and put the savings towards the library project.

[Holden West]

Not only is a new main library needed, the suburban branches have outlived their usefulness.

Consider the Nellie McClung branch at Cedar Hill and McKenzie. You might remember the 1976 building burned nearly ten years ago and was rebuilt. Problem was, the funding only covered an exact replacement, not an upgraded facility which serves a growing neighbourhood. So instead of building for the future, the new library is a perfect match for mid 70s Saanich and was obsolete the minute it reopened. The 1991 building even features sprinklers that wrap around the ceiling beams to match the way they were retrofitted instead of simply going through the beams like they normally would in a new building.

They'd like to open small "express" branches in places like James Bay where people could pick up holds and use a small selection of items.

So go to http://www.gvpl.ca/ and read the plan and fill out the survey.

[amor de cosmos]

it wouldn't hurt if they could get more journals online

[LJ]

They'd like to open small "express" branches in places like James Bay where people could pick up holds and use a small selection of items.

.

There is a satelite branch in the city center in Langford on Goldstream that seems very popular and well used.

[http]

it wouldn't hurt if they could get more journals online

EBSCOHost not big enough a selection?

[amor de cosmos]

nope. jstor has a bunch of stuff that can't be found on ebscohost, especially stuff that came out before ~1990

[Holden West]

There is a satelite branch in the city center in Langford on Goldstream that seems very popular and well used.

I think it's that branch that made them think it would be successful elsewhere. In those downloads there's a map of potential sites. If you disagree or think of an area that would be better suited for a satellite you should note it.

[Kikadee]

nope. jstor has a bunch of stuff that can't be found on ebscohost, especially stuff that came out before ~1990

Please, pretty please, make jstor available to the general public! That's what I'm asking Santa for this Christmas.

[masiyou]

Members of the Public can get a uvic library card for 50$ a year - worth it if you're an avid reader of various topics and you would presumably get access to Jstor, etc.

However, I do think that the Public library should offer the same service.

[Holden West]

^Yes, because Speculum Magazine is always sold out at the newstand.

UVic has a great collection. Definitely if you have a specialty or obscure interest.

[masiyou]

^LOL

Hey, VV is not the place to make fun of nerds with obscure interests.

[Caramia]

Haha! Masiyou definitely has you there Holden!