RAINY RIVER – If you are a frequent patron of the library, then you’ll know how important the library is in your community. They don’t just provide a way to stimulate the mind through literature, DVDs, and CDs.
The library is so much more. They offer youths a safe space to socialize, they provide internet access to those who don’t, and they hold onto all those historical documents of every milestone for the community.
To hear that a local library is forced to close because its landlord feels building rent should be tripled is outright egregious.
But that is what is happening to the Rainy River Public Library.
Early in June, staff at Rainy River Public Library was informed by their landlord that their rent was going to be significantly increased.
The Rainy River Public Library is the only municipal service that is not located in a municipal building; therefore, the only option for the public library to operate in a town of 800 people is to rely on renting space within private property.
Although the library is publicly funded, library funding is limited with an annual operating budget of $89,000.
Previously, the library’s rent was $13,500 a year, however, Dawber explained that their new yearly rate would be tripled to $40,500 on an annual $89,000 budget.
“The increased rate was to kick in on August 1, and the library absolutely cannot pay the amount we were asked to pay,” said Michael Dawber, CEO Librarian, “so we had to find a new place to move before August 1 or else we would have to close the library.”
Dawber and his staff were not going to allow that to happen.
With only one month to find new residents, pack, and move, Dawber and his staff kicked into high gear and set out on the mission to save the Rainy River Library.
“We did have some challenges. Rainy River is not a big community. It’s only about 800 people. The options were limited,” said Dawber. “It happened that the All-Sow fabric show and sowing store which is just across the street, the owner was retiring, she was winding up the business, so she was able to offer us the space in the time frame, which was immediately, and at a price, we could afford.”
An added challenge for the library is space. The new building has about half the space as their previous building. The library’s existing facility is 1800 square feet and the store they are moving into is about 900 square feet.
The Rainy River Public Library is smaller than most, but currently, the library has 450 active members and they receive about 60 to 70 in-person visits a week.
During the summer month, they do see an influx of patrons from across the border and surrounding areas as cottagers frequent the library looking for something to read while basketing in the summer heat.
At the current moment, they have four internet access stations, however, after the move they might have to reduce their internet stations down to one.
Moreover, Dawber said, “We have about 20 per cent of the collection already packed, but it is going to be a challenge because the space we are moving to has about half the floor space of the building that we are in now. So, a large part of our collection will have to go into storage and all that has to be computer coded so we know where everything is. This is a huge task. Normally when you are doing a library move, this is kind of like a 12-to-18-month project and we are having to do this in basically in 6 weeks.”
After posting on Facebook about their move, the community has come out to show their support for the library.
“We had a huge response from the public, which is great. This was a difficult moment for us and we could use all the help we can get to keep delivering our service, Dawber explained. “We have volunteers that have signed up to help us between July 26 and August 2 is when most of our move is going to happen. We are asking for volunteers to come to help us and sign up during those days.”
So far, the community has donated $1,875 to which Dawber said, “Every nickel matters.”
However, there is still more the public can do.
“If everyone could do one thing, we will make it,” said Dawber. “We still need packing material. We are asking for donations of the big two-inch packing tape because we got literally hundreds of boxes that we are going to have to seal.”
Therefore, if you have boxes, newspaper, two-inch pack tape, and time the Rainy River Public Library could use your help for their move.
Contact: libraryrr@gmail.com or go to www.rainyriverlibrary.com and ask them how you can help!
