Construction on the new Sheep River Library is near completion and is expected to open to the public mid-March, two weeks ahead of the March 31 deadline.
“That is amazingly soon,” said library board chair Diane Osberg. “We are totally ecstatic about it.”
Osberg said the board hopes to start moving into the new library by the end of February, with the official grand opening planned for April 23.
All that’s left to finish in the new 10,000-square-foot building located in Turner Valley are the lighting, plumbing, and some storage installation, Osberg said.
“Our staff had a tour of the building in December,” Osberg said. “It was the first time they’d seen all the walls up and all painted. They’re really excited about everything.”
However, the early move-in date means there is now an urgent need for furniture to fill the library, she said.
Over the past two months, the Sheep River Library board and the Friends of the Library Foundation have been working hard to raise funds to purchase furniture.
It is estimated they will need about $100,000 to completely furnish the library.
“We’re all just working our heads off trying to get ready to move in,” Osberg said.
With the new library’s stunning architectural design — vaulted ceilings, a fireplace, even a 1,000-square-foot meeting room planned for movie screenings — there is plenty of space to furnish.
The library has received substantial donations from local businesses and corporations, including the Foothills Family Medical Clinic, the Royal Bank of Canada and TransCanada Pipelines.
Fortis recently donated eight computers and Telus donated $7,000 to go towards new laptop computers, Osberg said.
Still, the library needs a projector, a screen, about 85 to 100 stackable chairs for the movie screening room, boardroom chairs, a Smart Board (an interactive white board), and video conferencing equipment, she added.
Osberg said they have received a lot of public input on the furniture.
At the High Country Lodge, a senior citizens’ home in Black Diamond, several residents requested the fireplace chairs be “comfortable, yet firm,” Osberg said.
“They said, ‘None of this soft, sink-to-the-floor stuff that is really hard for old bones to get out of,’” Osberg recalled.
In response to the request, the library board had several High Country Lodge residents take different chair options for a test drive. The winning chairs have now been ordered at a price tag of about $15,000.
Despite the steep price of some furniture, Osberg said it is important for the new building to have good quality furniture that lasts.
Legacy Oil and Gas recently stepped forward with funds for the fireplace chairs, she added.
“We’re going to be calling the fireplace area the Legacy Lounge,” Osberg said.
In order to meet the mid-February move-in date, the library board will likely need to continue fundraising after settling in.
“We still have needs,” Osberg explained. “They’re not absolutely critical. But we would prefer not to take our grotty old furniture from the old library, and rather have quality furnishings that will stand the test of time. ”
Osberg said the library is also in need of volunteers to facilitate the move.
“We’re going to need a tremendous amount of volunteers to help us pack up all of our books in order — we’re talking 70,000 volumes here — and then re-shelve them in order,” she said.
Long-term volunteer positions are also available once the library opens, from gardening to restocking shelves to pulling books, Osberg said.
For more information on becoming a volunteer, call Irene at 403-933-5322. To learn more about how you can donate funds to the Sheep River Library, call Holly at 403-933-5811.
