Dwight Public Library may be a small branch, but it has a big heart and even bigger plans.
Thanks to an increase in usage—in the past decade, programs have increased by 310 per cent and participation is up 257 per cent—the library will be expanding and fundraising efforts are ongoing to cover the costs of construction.
They are well on their way to the $1.2 million needed for the expansion with the help of two major donors who have contributed a combined total of $200,000.
Long-time Lake of Bays cottager, Mary Sinclair, has contributed $150,000 and says that the branch is “so much more than a library. It’s a forward-thinking and welcoming space where everyone is equal—seasonal cottagers and locals alike. It’s where retired adults can take refuge from the winter weather and curl up with a novel, where cottagers find their weekly dock reads, and where children’s lives are enriched thanks to things like STEM stations, storytime, and innovative programming.”
Sinclair adds that it’s the “passion housed within its walls” that made her decision to support the expansion an easy one. “The sense of community found at the library is quite a remarkable thing to experience. It’s important that it continues to thrive in the years to come, as it has such an impact on the lives of members of this community. It really is an upbeat home away from home.”
An additional $50,000 has been donated by Paul and Penny Thomas, who will be naming the library’s new children’s area.
“We both feel the library is one of the most important resources in our community,” they write. “We believe the staff and volunteers in the library continue to develop and deliver a wide variety of programs for both adults and children that are of a calibre that equals or exceeds the programs we have seen in the many places we have previously lived.”
The Thomases add that they appreciate the impact the library has had on education in the community, in particular at Irwin Memorial Public School, which is just across the road. “Having recognized the impact that an excellent education has had on our lives, we feel very fortunate to be able to support this organization as we are very confident that it will have a lasting impact on the lives of many of the local children.”
To date, about $250,000 has been raised for the expansion and renovation, which will include a new 1,800 square foot multi-functional space for community events and programming, children’s programs, and after-school programs, as well as high-speed, fibre optic WiFi and internet access, public computers and study areas.
“Libraries in general have turned into community learning spaces,” says Cathy Fairbairn, CEO of the Lake of Bays Libraries and Branch Librarian in Dwight. “The broad range of things people are learning within our walls or even at home through our virtual walls on the internet with all the databases and things we can offer through our websites—it’s just opened up education and learning and fun for people in a huge way.”
The Dwight branch has friendly and committed staff, dedicated patrons and a wide range of programs and services but what it lacks is space. “If we run a program in the library, it’s crowded,” says Fairbairn. “It shuts the library down for other services because we are taking up the space and it’s not quiet.” The proposed expansion will include programming space that can be closed off to keep the rest of the library operational, as well as two quiet pods for those who want to be able to work, read or study in a quiet place.
The renovation and expansion will also include upgraded wireless services. “Now that we have fibre optics, it’s a big deal for our community—a lot of people don’t have access where they live. We need more space for people to connect to each other and to connect to the internet,” says Fairbairn, adding that libraries have evolved from a place where you borrowed a book to community spaces for being creative and learning. “We’ve turned into the safe community space where you can come to connect with friends, have a conversation or meeting, come to use our equipment like our STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) tools like robots for children, or come to learn something through all different kinds of programming from crafts to educational talks.”
The library and its expansion committee have a variety of fundraising initiatives to help get to their $1.2 million goal—from a jar on the circulation desk where patrons can drop spare change or a few bills, to seeking out major donors and everything in between.
There are also three upcoming fundraisers:
With Christmas right around the corner, if you’re struggling to find a gift for the person who has everything, why not buy a brick in support of the library? They’ll put a tag on it for you and you can take it home and put it under your tree.
A Mac & Cheese dinner hosted by the expansion committee and the Dwight Lions Club on January 5 that includes samples of delicious dishes concocted by area restaurants and a sundae dessert buffet. Tickets are $15 for adults, $5 for kids under 12 or $30 for a family of four (two adults and two children under 12) and are available for pre-purchase at Dwight Public Library or Ericka’s coffee shop.
Finally, the ‘Put Yourself on Our Shelf’ fundraiser allows donors to sponsor a book shelf. For a $2,500 sponsorship, a donor can have the inscription of their choice engraved on a plaque to be affixed to one of the library’s new shelves.
Library staff are also looking for grant opportunities that they can apply for, and once they have secured a substantial amount of the needed funds they will approach the Township of Lake of Bays for their support.
For more information about the project or to make a donation, contact Cathy Fairbairn at 705-635-3319 or [email protected] or make an online contribution here.
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Rob Stimpson says
Big thanks to Mary Sinclair and the Thomas’s for their generosity and understanding of what the 21st century library is all about. Libraries are the social hubs of our communities. It is not just about books, but social gatherings, art exhibits, education, talks of interest and thanks to the people who run them.
Rob Millman says
Everything encapsulated in this article is so true. I have lived in several cities/towns, e.g. St. Catharines, Bracebridge, in which the libraries were neither as welcome nor as effective as Dwight’s. Two hopefully relevant queries:
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1) is the auditorium space next door used so frequently as to prohibit it being used as the multi-functional
room? Even if it is, it could be used as such temporarily in a staged construction program as more
fundraisers are essayed.
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2) is the roof portrayed a new type of solar panel or is water circulated through it? it is certainly
eye-catching.
Brian Tapley says
Building addition is good, if somewhat pricey.
It would be nice to see the township apply some pressure on people like Bell to supply fiber optic options to most of the rest of the township. High speed at the library, however nice to have, is a relatively useless item for a business located elsewhere in the municipality. Business has to work from it’s own location and can’t. like private citizens, go running to the library for each internet use.
The other thing I wonder about is parking. At the moment, if there is a normal traffic to the municipal office and library and any kind of activity in the community center, parking is tight. For major events there is simply not enough now. Take away over half the existing parking for the addition at the library and you have made this situation impossible. So what is the plan here? Nobody seems to have included this in the plans that I have seen and since public transit is non existent in Lake of Bays this is an issue to be solved.