Follow Up on Experts Meeting

The expert meeting as previously announced has therefore been held last Thursday. The ensuing discussion was rich with complementary perspectives and valuable information.

A clear message has been articulated in relation to recent cuts in the purchase of books. These cuts have really hurt and users feel it. The question was posed to the mayor Dinel whether it was possible to reverse this decision and he has not closed the door to such an eventuality.

It also emerged that the Ministry of Culture has a lot of grant applications for new libraries and the funds will be limited before 2013. If Brownsburg-Chatham wants to benefit from them, it must submit a strong proposal, and soon, especially advocating the need for people to make its candidacy a priority.

Mayor Dinel reiterated the lack of budgets. We hope the council find a way to adjust so as not to deprive the people of this essential service. The opening of the City to form the clibrary ommittee allows us to keep hope. We will continue to argue the benefits of library service.

The first meeting of this committee will be held in early October 2010. At that time, Réseau BIBLIO des Laurentides will present the first draft of the development plan. We will keep you informed of developments.

Meeting Experts and Library Committee

This Thursday, August 19 will be held a meeting with those we have called our experts. Seeing how little interest the public shows towards the project of moving the library into the Roussell house, the coalition has said: So then what would be the ideal library for the city of Brownsburg-Chatham? Seeing how time flies and wanting to benefit from the experience of credible people, the coalition has offered the City a meeting with experts in the field.

Mr. Mayor Dinel accepted. He will therefore be present as well as Madame Paule Clotteau Blain, designated representative for the library within the council. Unfortunately, we cannot benefit from the presence of other city council members. The General Manager and Treasurer René Lachance will also be present, as well as Nathalie Lafleur, a citizen of Brownsburg-Chatham who has long been concerned by this issue. Coalition members who will be present are François Jobin and Cynthia Dubé.

Experts consulted:

• Jean-Marc Parent, the Ministry of Culture and Communications;
• Catherine Lapointe, cultural development at the MRC of Argenteuil;
• JoAnne Turnbull, CEO Réseau BIBLIO des Laurentides, and
• Brigitte Bowen, employee responsible for the Library of Brownsburg-Chatham.

Subsequently, a library committee formed by the city will work in collaboration with the Réseau BIBLIO des Laurentides in order to elaborate a development plan. Will be a member of said committee: Nathalie Lafleur, citizen, and Cynthia Dubé, representative of the coalition We Deserve Better.

We sincerely hope that this will help the future of the library, for the good of the whole population on the territory. Let's recall that at our first meeting with the City Council December 16, 2009, it was said that a library project would be put forth in a horizon of 1 or 2 years.

Regarding the Roussell house, the coalition now considers the fate of the latter as a second problem. A vocation has still not been found. At the last City Council meeting held August 2, 2010, the building was put on sale. Will the heritage value of the building will be preserved? We are entitled to ask the question.