Hello Library Lovers: Here is the link to information on the upcoming consultation workshops on the new central library (scheduled for completion in 2025). Attendance is free but you must register so the organizers can ensure there is enough space. The same workshop takes place on three separate days in three different parts of the city to make attendance as convenient as possible.
October 28, 2019. READ Rosemount Chair Josh Nutt recently received the following information from the Ottawa Public Library.
The Rosemount project is proceeding as per schedule. OPL will be posting periodic photos and updates on its website to let the community see the progress. So far, its has been a process of demolition so there isn’t much to show. Most of the interior demolition is complete. As is the case with any old building, there were a few surprises, but everything is proceeding well.
You will note that the tree in the front has been removed. This was a difficult decision; however, it was necessary for the foundation work for the new addition. When the construction is complete, it will be replaced by a Serviceberry tree which is native to Ontario, low maintenance and salt tolerant. It has dramatic seasonal interests with masses of showy white flowers in spring and brilliant yellow to red leaves colour in the fall. The red to purplish-black edible fruit in June will attracts birds. The new tree will be approximately 3m high when planted and will grow to a maximum of 6m high with a spread of 4m. This is an appropriately scaled tree for the planter and the restrictions of the overhead hydro wires nearby.
Serviceberry tree in Spring bloom: proposed for Rosemount front garden.
Sample of Serviceberry in Fall.
Rosemount renovation north side back Oct 27, 2019
Rosemary renovation front view. Oct 27, 2019.
Photos above courtesy of READ Rosemount Group
The other obvious news is that the sidewalk in front of the library is closed. Closure will remain in effect until the end of October when a new sidewalk will be completed. This is required to install the foundations for the new retaining wall, stairs and ramp. Construction staff are working with the public to help them safely cross the street and are accommodating school children before and after school, to the extent feasible.
Dan Martelock, the artist selected to create a piece of community art for the Children’s space, completed his community engagement over the summer. He will be working with local children this fall to move the project to the next stage. Elizabeth Sampson, Facilities Planning and Development, Ottawa Public Library
Area residents have been asking what is happening to the Rosemount renovation project??? Good News! As of August 14, 2019 the security fencing around the building has been installed and demolition has begun. The hoarding will include a covered walkway to be built on the road in front of the library. So the Rosemount Library reno is on its way! Have a look.
Scaled-down services will be available in a temporary spot at 1207 Wellington St. W. CBC News – Posted May 13, 2019 – Trevor Pritchard/CBC Ottawa The Ottawa Public Library branch in Hintonburg is closing on Monday, June 3 to allow for renovation work that’s expected to take nearly a year. If the $2.4M project goes according to plan, the century-old branch should reopen in spring 2020 according to a news release issued by the City on Monday. Residents will be able to access some of the services normally offered by the branch, but on a reduced scale at 1207 Wellington St W. about a 5 minute walk west of the Rosemount branch. Otherwise the nearest branches are Main, Sunnyside, Emerald Plaza and Carlingwood.
For full article and architectural renderings of what the space will look like click here.
See also
Global News –Beatrice Local Online Journalist “OPL’s Rosemount Branch to close for renovations starting June 3.”
READ Rosemount encourages citizens to become engaged in the design and development processes of Ottawa’s New Central Library to be located at 555 Albert Street on LeBreton Flats.
Engagement Process Unveiled for Ottawa’s new Central Library | Feb 8, 2019
The civic engagement process for Ottawa’s new central library facility at 555 Albert Street has begun. The process is labeled “Inspire555 Series“. The first two engagement workshops are scheduled for: Thursday, February 28 in the Pellan Room of the Library and Archives Canada building 395 Wellington E. from 6-9 pm and Saturday, March 2 in Hall A of the Nepean Sportsplex from 9-12 pm.
To register for one of the workshops (free) Click here:
For more detailed information on the process Click here.
Stay informed and have your say. Bookmark the website dedicated to the new central library.Click here.
From Snøhetta’s new $245 million Central Library in Calgary, Alberta to Berlin’s “eco-intelligent” Philological Library. Some inspiration for Ottawa. By Norman Fisher.
While we are all waiting for our revitalized Rosemount Branch and Ottawa’s new central library to take shape, let’s have a look at (and celebrate!) the new central library in Calgary which opened Nov 1, 2018. It was designed by Snøhetta, a Norwegian firm in partnership with the Canadian firm Dialog. Snøhetta also designed the Isabel Bader Performing Arts Centre (opened 2014) in Kingston (ON), the Norwegian Opera and Ballet Centre in Oslo (opened 2008) and the Olso Deichmanske Central Library scheduled to open in 2020.
Here are links to the news articles on the new Calgary Central Library:
Sadaf Ahsan: Unlike so many industries that have been disrupted by technological advances, libraries across North America have shown an uncanny ability to adapt.
Eric Klinenberg. New York Times. September 8. 2018 Excerpts:
A lot of powerful forces in society seem to think so. In recent years, declines in the circulation of bound books in some parts of the country have led prominent critics to argue that libraries are no longer serving their historical function. Countless elected officials insist that in the 21st century — when so many books are digitized, so much public culture exists online and so often people interact virtually — libraries no longer need the support they once commanded. …
But the problem that libraries face today isn’t irrelevance. Indeed, in New York and many other cities, library circulation, program attendance and average hours spent visiting are up. The real problem that libraries face is that so many people are using them, and for such a wide variety of purposes, that library systems and their employees are overwhelmed. According to a 2016 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, about half of all Americans ages 16 and over used a public library in the past year, and two-thirds say that closing their local branch would have a “major impact on their community.” …
Libraries are an example of what I call “social infrastructure”: the physical spaces and organizations that shape the way people interact. Libraries don’t just provide free access to books and other cultural materials, they also offer things like companionship for older adults, de facto child care for busy parents, language instruction for immigrants and welcoming public spaces for the poor, the homeless and young people. …
In many neighborhoods, particularly those where young people aren’t hyper-scheduled in formal after-school programs, libraries are highly popular among adolescents and teenagers who want to spend time with other people their age. One reason is that they’re open, accessible and free. Another is that the library staff members welcome them; in many branches, they even assign areas for teenagers to be with one another. …
Libraries are the kinds of places where people with different backgrounds, passions and interests can take part in a living democratic culture. They are the kinds of places where the public, private and philanthropic sectors can work together to reach for something higher than the bottom line. …
This summer, Forbes magazine published an article arguing that libraries no longer served a purpose and did not deserve public support. The author, an economist, suggested that Amazon replace libraries with its own retail outlets, and claimed that most Americans would prefer a free-market option. The public response — from librarians especially, but also public officials and ordinary citizens — was so overwhelmingly negative that Forbes deleted the article from its website.
April 17, 2018 CBC.CA
The winner will go on to design the new central library/Library and Archives Canada joint facility. Ottawa is one step closer to getting a new main branch. The five teams were selected out of 33 submissions received by the City since May 2017 and all have experience with projects of similar size and scope including libraries, archives, performing arts centres or museums, according to a news release. The five teams are: Bing Thom Architects & GRC Architects; Diamond Schmitt & KWC Architects; Mecanoo International & NORR Architects & Engineers Ltd; Patkau Architects, MSDL Architects & GRC Architects; and Schmidt/hammer/lassen, KPMB Architects & Hobin Architecture Inc.
