It’s official—the Cochrane Public Library is getting a glow-up. The Cochrane Town Council has decided to set aside around $150 million to design a new library for the city. If all goes according to schedule, the project planning phase should take 16 to 18 months.
The project will determine the library’s current needs and what the community will need in the future, design a building that responds to these needs, and find a suitable location for the new library. Once this is done, the city can break ground on the new library.
This is great news for the community. Many library users have found that the space is too small. People who want to get work done there find that it has more of an events center feel than a library feel because the space is just too small and hosts too many great events for it to be calm.
“We have our patron satisfaction survey happening right now and just some of the comments that I’m seeing, it’s the same comments every year. It’s just way too small. We need more books. We need more quiet space,” Cochrane Public Library Director Monique Fiedler-Sills told The Cochrane Eagle.
A Community Hub for All Ages
The Cochrane Library is one of those spaces that’s worth its weight in gold. It’s so much more than just a place to take out books. It has a wide variety of things you can borrow and use, from tools for your DIY projects at home to a 3D printer to games for family game night.
They run a ton of different activities. Depending on the week, you can go there to learn how to take better pictures on your phone camera, play games with your neighbours, or take your child to storytime. Some days, they have over eight hours of community programming!
It’s no wonder that the library is always so busy. It’s where you can go to see just how much Cochrane is thriving these days. And it’s only going to get better.
The new space will have more technology options for people, more resources, and the same popular programs and services that Cochranites know and love.
While the expansion plans will take time, Fiedler-Sills was thrilled they are underway. “We’re so thrilled that Administration supported it and that Council is excited for it,” she said.
The Cochrane Library has a bright future, and we can’t wait to see it evolve!
