Taking Flight!

Whoooo!
What a great gala evening here at the library on Friday night ... delicious food, exciting performers, smooth jazz, an intense live auction, and wonderful guests! The library was transformed with moving lighting, secret corners and beautiful florals - through much hard work from many people. Stay tuned to see how much was raised towards our Branching Out campaign goal ... and be assured that next October will see our 2nd. annual A Novel Night Out gala event.

Everyone here at Barrie Public Library is so excited to be ... Branching Out for our community!
Ann

75% and growing

Wow - 75% towards our million dollar goal and Branching Out just keeps growing! And that's good - very good - because we need the help of our community to reach that goal and build Barrie's first branch library. It's been a busy, busy Summer with all our Branching Out campaign team volunteers working hard.

Excitement is also growing as some wonderful fundraising events start happening. Check out details on the Events page of our Branching Out website, then come on out to join in the fun.

Everyone here at Barrie Public Library is so excited to be ... Branching Out for our community!
Ann

Dragon Boat Festival raises funds to help build branch library

Wow!
August 22 saw a very exciting day of racing out on the water as Barrie Public Library's 7th annual Barrie Dragon Boat Festival took to Kempenfelt Bay. With 49 teams racing and funds being raised for 40 local charities it was a day of marvellous community spirit and camaraderie. We won't know the exact amount of pledges raised until late September, but since its inception in 2003 this Barrie Public Library event has raised more than $925,000 for more than 60 charities alongside your Library. All pledges made to the Library itself go to our Branching Out Capital Campaign fund to build our first Branch Library in south Barrie.

Want to know more about the Festival? Check the dragon boats out at www.barriedragonboatfestival.ca

Everyone here at Barrie Public Library is so excited to be ... Branching Out for our community!
Ann

Design news from the project team

Our project team was pleased with the comments they received at our public information meeting and through the comment sheets.

We’ve heard that you want a library that welcomes all ages of the community from young children through seniors, providing spaces geared to different age groups. There was interest in having space both for programs and events and space for quiet study. Your library should combine the latest in technological resources with a comfortable welcoming environment.

You also want a library that connects to the community it is located in, providing information on local events and resources. The library you envision is aware of the environment and takes advantage of opportunities to be green. You want the library to relate to its physical surroundings and be connected to the outdoors.

We are working on space planning for the library now, using the input provided by our patrons and community members, as well as library staff.

The new library branch will be built to a minimum of LEED Silver standards (an environmental measurement that takes into account how the building is built as well as ongoing operational activity).

We look forward to coming back to the community in the fall with a plan that brings together all the ideas you’ve given us to make your library a place we can all find welcoming.

Shonna Froebel,
Project Team Library Representative
Manager, Adult Information Services - Barrie Public Library

70% + more!

Things are very exciting here this week as a lot of things move forward all at once!
- We've now hit 70% of our fundraising goal - thanks to everyone who has already made their gift! If you haven't donated yet then please go to the Branching Out campaign website at www.branchingoutbpl.ca and donate now.
- tonight is an Open House with the project architects: an opportunity for them to meet our community and gather public input on the design of this branch library
- and today the "future home" sign went up on the site selected for the first branch library in Barrie. See the photo!

Everyone here at Barrie Public Library is so excited to be Branching Out for our community!

Field trip

This past week the Branch Library Project Team took a field trip to search out ideas we might want to incorporate into Barrie's first branch library. Library staff, City staff and ZAS Architects visited various libraries in Ontario and came back with some great "nice to haves" and some definite "don't wants".

We're also all looking forward to the public Open House on Thursday, July 23rd from 7pm – 9pm at the South Shore Community Centre. The Open House will introduce the architectural firm, ZAS Architects, and acquire preliminary feedback from the public to move forward with the architectural concept and design stage of the project.

Evereyone here at Barrie Public Library is so excited to be ... Branching Out for our Community

Architects named!

What exciting news this week!
Everybody here at Barrie Public Library (BPL) knows we've moved a step closer toward the creation of a new library branch in Barrie’s south end with the naming of ZAS Architects as the architecture firm for the project.

Paul Stevens, principal architect with ZAS, told me that his company believes "libraries are one of the key building blocks of creating vibrant, sustainable communities”, and that "this project points to a bright future for library users in Barrie". He also said that they are absolutely delighted to be working with Barrie Public Library and the City of Barrie on the design of the new Painswick Branch. In turn, the Branch Library project team are pleased to be working with a company that has such a great view of libraries.

ZAS Architects has been responsible for numerous high-profile public projects across the country and around the world, including several libraries. The firm was recently acknowledged by the Ontario Library Association for its work on the St. James Town Public Library in Toronto. Catherine Virgo, Chair of the Board of Trustees here at BPL, is confident that by working with ZAS and consulting with local residents, we will create a modern, welcoming library space that will make our library services accessible to more Barrie residents than ever before.

To help achieve this an Open House is scheduled on Thursday, July 23rd from 7pm – 9pm at the South Shore Community Centre, 205 Lakeshore Drive, to introduce the architectural firm heading up the project and acquire preliminary feedback from the public to move forward with the architectural concept and design stage of the project. We hope to see you there!

We're so excited to be ... Branching Out for our Community