With the closure of Jarvie and W.R. Frose School in Fawcett now a likelihood, the Westlock Municipal Library — which maintains permanent collections in both communities — is looking at possible solutions to serve both hamlets, such a “bookmobile.”
On Feb. 27, Pembina Hills trustees passed a motion to convert Dapp School into a new K-9 school, while closing W.R. Frose School in Fawcett and Jarvie School.
The transition is set to take place by Sept. 1, 2014 provided there is enough space for all the students. They also passed a motion to apply for two modular classrooms for the school.
Westlock Municipal Library director Doug Whistance-Smith said they have a joint use agreement for the library space in Jarvie School and W.R. Frose School.
In other words, the libraries in both schools host a combined public and scholastic collection.
In fact, they renovated the two libraries in both schools in collaboration with Pembina Hills, using funding provided by the provincial Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP).
Whistance-Smith stressed the library purposefully sank the grant money into capital upgrades like shelving, desks and other items that could be moved out if the school closed.
“Feasibly, if the school were to close in a month, we could box all the books that are our property and move them out, along with the shelving and furniture, and move them to another location. That was always the intent. Our money was not wasted,” he said.
Whistance-Smith said he originally believed they would have three years to think over the matter, but now the schools in Jarvie and Fawcett will be effectively closed in a year and a half.
“That’s almost like what happened in Vimy and we had six months to move out that public library collection,” he said.
“This isn’t very much more of a lead time.”
He noted he had submitted a letter to the school division before the Feb. 27 decision.
If the division indeed decided to go with this one-school solution, he asked if they would consider relocating one of the collections in Jarvie or Fawcett to potentially Busby or Clyde.
Noting he hasn’t heard a response yet, he indicated that Dapp’s probably not an option for the two public collections, given they’ll be accommodating the students from three communities.
“Even with the additional modulars at Dapp School … their library won’t have sufficient space to house our collection,” he said.
Having said all that, Whistance-Smith said the library board has been bandying around some possible solutions, and one of those ideas was getting a bookmobile that would travel up to the two communities on certain days.
The bookmobile concept could also benefit other communities like Clyde, he indicated.
Although Clyde is now a member of the Yellowhead Library, Whistance-Smith said they have looked for a viable facility to host a public collection and haven’t been able to find one. A bookmobile could solve that problem.
It could also be utilized for community outreach to senior’s centres in Westlock and other nearby communities, he noted.
Alongside the bookmobile, they could potentially place a small permanent collection in one of the communities, noting that the Fawcett Senior’s Drop-in Centre might be an option because they’re currently expanding the building.
However, the big sticking point in this whole discussion is money. “It’s going to come at a huge cost,” he said.
Whistance-Smith noted Strathcona County is the nearest municipality to maintain a bookmobile and he intended to have a look at their program.
While this is all theoretical, he said these are things the library board must consider, especially as they start their community assessment for their five-year strategic plan.
“That’s due for submission to the government early next year,” he added. “In a way, what’s happening with Pembina Hills is a stimulus for us to … start planning this and seeing how the communities want us to respond.”
