Region of Waterloo Library wants to pop-up in rural townships

The Region of Waterloo Library (RWL) wants to deliver library services to four different townships in the region that don't have their own library through a new project called the Pop-Up Library Pilot Project.

They hope that by spring of 2017, the townships ofWilmot, North Dumfries, Wellesley and Woolwich will have a pop-up library branch inSt.Agatha, Branchton, Hawkesville and Breslau.

The Region of Waterloo Library provides services to the region'stownships and rural areas, which are widespread. It can be difficult for some users to get to other communities where there is an existing library branch.

"We spoke with the mayors of each township to get their recommendation as to where they hear their citizens want service," Kelly Bernstein, manager of library services for the Region of Waterloo Library toldCBC Kitchener-Waterloo on The Morning Edition.

"Wewant to do this to expand our reach to be able to have services closer to where people live," said Bernstein.

How it works

An individual staff member will be at a community centre in each township, delivering programs catered to the community.

People will also benefit from library services such as picking up books and DVDs that they have previously placed on hold through the library catalogue.

RWL suggested the idea to Regional Council in October, and took the next two months to finalize the project and to present it again at the budget meeting on Tuesday.

It won't be until Dec.14 when Bernstein and her team will know for sure if the project will be endorsed.

If it does, the Pop-Up Library Pilot Project will begin in the spring of 2017 and run until the end of the year.