The Dorset library is going to be revamped to be used as a multi-purpose location.
Although the full extent of what the Dorset library is going to turn into is unknown, it’s days as a library are limited. At a regular meeting of Algonquin Highlands Council, Mayor Carol Moffatt and her fellow councillors discussed at length what should be done with the Dorset library. Ultimately the decision was made the space would be transitioned to some kind of multi-use area that would be open the same hours as the rest of the facility that houses it.
According to a survey put out by the township, the majority of respondents felt the area was better suited for something other than a library. Moffatt noted that over the 8,000 plus registered voters, the people that answered the survey numbered less than 200. Councillor Jennifer Dailloux felt the low survey results were an example of people not being energized or engaged by the Dorset library, she went on to say the library in Dwight is highly active.
According to Moffatt, there is still a lot of work to be done, and the final look and design of the space are still very fluid. Deputy Mayor Liz Danielson, a member of the library board, noted that the board has tried everything in their power to get more people to use the library as it is with limited success.
After all, was said and done, the council voted to pass a resolution to begin the process to transition the library on the understanding that the “spirit of the library” was still incorporated, whether that be through programming similar to what libraries offer, or a bookshelf for people to use or something to that effect.