Kitchener Public Library - About Your Library

KPL Press Releases

July 25, 2005 Architects Selected to Develop Framework for Future Design of Kitchener’s New Central Library

Sept. 25, 2003 Kitchener Public Library hosts Town Hall meetings regarding new Main Library

July 22, 2003 Kitchener Public Library hosts Town Hall meeting regarding new Main Library

May 26, 2003 KPL Presents Phase Two of Main Branch Assessment Study

April 28, 2003 KPL Main Library Assessment Study Released

July 25, 2005
Architects Selected to Develop Framework for Future Design
of Kitchener’s New Central Library

Kitchener Public Library and the City of Kitchener have hired Levitt Goodman Architects and Phillip Carter Architect in a joint venture to produce a building program, conceptual design and cost estimates for a new downtown central library.

This initial concept will provide the framework for future design and construction phases of the Central Library/Centre Block project which, it is anticipated, will be carried out in the future through a partnership between the City, the library, and a private developer.

The two architects combine the expertise of a seasoned, renowned library architect with the innovative and fresh approach of a talented, mid-career architectural design firm. Both firms have experience with urban design and they understand the importance of integrating a new central library with the downtown streetscape.

Phillip Carter has successfully overseen some 40 library projects. Among these are Toronto’s highly praised Malvern District Public Library and Lillian H. Smith Library. Levitt Goodman designed the Waterloo Regional Children’s Museum, Stanley Park Community Centre and University of Waterloo School of Architecture.

The architects will focus on what is needed in a new central library and how it will function. The conceptual design will illustrate functional areas within the library, their proposed size and relationship to other departments within the facility. It will also show options for the footprint, number of floors and location on the Centre Block site. A future phase of the project will address what the building will actually look like.

“Public consultation will play a key role in our work with Levitt Goodman and Phillip Carter,” said Sonia Lewis, Kitchener Public Library’s CEO. “To date over 1500 Kitchener residents have shared their ideas with us about the new central library. We will seek additional community input over the next few months.”

Kitchener City Council has committed $32.5 million to a new central public library on the Centre Block site. The funds are part of the $110 million Economic Development Investment Fund, which was approved in March 2004. Centre Block is located downtown between King and Duke Streets and Ontario and Young Streets, adjacent to City Hall.

By hiring architects, Kitchener Public Library is one step closer to realizing this community’s dream for a new central library and a revitalized downtown.

September 25, 2003
Kitchener Public Library hosts Town Hall meetings regarding new Main Library

The Kitchener Public Library Board invites all interested citizens to attend one of our Town Hall meetings regarding the proposed new Main Library facility.

The meetings will take place at 7:00 pm on the following dates and locations:

Wednesday, October 1
Forest Heights Community Library
251 Fischer-Hallman Rd

Wednesday, October 8
Pioneer Park Community Library
150 Pioneer Dr.

Tuesday, October 14
Grand River Stanley Park Community Library
175 Indian Rd.

Beckman Associates Library Consultants recently conducted a needs assessment study regarding the existing Main Library facility. Their report concluded that the current Main Library will no longer meet the needs of Kitchener’s rapidly growing community. Kitchener City Council supports the Library Board in proceeding with plans for a new Main Library.

The Library wants to hear from you. Public consultation is critical, and your opinion is important.

Library Board members and staff will also be in attendance at our Town Hall meetings to answer your questions.

Consultation meetings with various local community groups and organizations are also in progress.

July 22, 2003
Kitchener Public Library hosts Town Hall meeting regarding new Main Library

The Kitchener Public Library Board invites all interested citizens to a Town Hall meeting regarding the proposed new Main Library facility.
This first public meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 30, at 7:00 pm at the Main Library on 85 Queen Street North in Kitchener.

Public consultation is critical, and your opinion is important.

The Library wants to hear from you. In addition to Town Hall meetings, people are encouraged to complete KPL’s Community Survey.

Surveys will be distributed in three different ways:

• Mailed with Your Kitchener in early September
• Posted on the KPL website (www.kpl.org)
• Displayed at all KPL locations

Library Board members and staff will also be available at a display at the Main Library throughout the summer to answer your questions.

Consultation meetings with various local community groups and organizations are also in progress.

Monday, May 26, 2003
KPL Presents Phase Two of Main Branch Assessment Study
Six Sites Evaluated to Assess Suitability for New Main Branch

Following the approval from Council of the City of Kitchener to the recommendations regarding Phase 1 of the Kitchener Public Library (KPL) Assessment Study, Phase two of the study was presented to Kitchener City Council.

Conducted by Beckman Associates Library Consultants and commissioned by KPL, phase two evaluated six downtown Kitchener sites to assess their suitability for a future main library, and identified the key components for a 128,000 gsf Main Branch. It also included spatial requirement calculations for expansion and accommodating potential new users resulting from partnerships and growth.

“It is important that we do a comprehensive evaluation for our library users,” said Diane Slimmon, Building and Planning Designate, Kitchener Public Library Board. “As we move ahead in this process, we need to determine a site that will best suit their needs.”

While site locations varied in size and character, they shared a number of features that included: availability for development, generally favourable zoning requirements and offering opportunities for future redevelopment. Phase one of the Assessment Study had identified the importance of locating the new Main library in Downtown Kitchener.

After evaluating six sites, the consultants identified Centre Block as the best option for the integration of a main library into the civic and cultural core of Downtown Kitchener.

Centre Block scored the highest points because of two major requirements being met: location and size. It was further concluded that its location, next door to Kitchener City Hall and facing onto King Street West, lends itself to being a powerful component in the urban renewal of downtown Kitchener. The inclusion of other complementary uses on this site would allow for economical and phased expansion of the main library for other uses.

Other sites evaluated ranked as follows:

2. Epton Site: King Street West and Victoria Street South
The largest of all sites evaluated, it is considered to be an economical site upon which to build and scored high on the size points scale. For location, the site scored low, given its distance from the downtown activity centre. Despite ranking second, it cannot be considered appropriate as a new public transit centre is being considered on the land.

3. Civic Centre Park Site: Queen Street South, between Ahrens Street and Centre in the Square
At more than two blocks from the centre of downtown, this site scored low on the location points scale. In addition, there are environmental concerns from cutting down trees and eliminating an urban park.

4. Charles and Francis Street Parking Lot
The proportions of this site, combined with the scale are not conducive to the planning of a functional library. The relatively small area and shape of the site produced low scores in site assessment. The surrounding roads carry a high volume of traffic and this also contributed to a lower score.

5. Transit Block: Charles Street West/ Ontario StreeJuly 10, 2007 Although reasonably well-placed in terms of downtown activity, it is surrounded on all four sides by heavily used major roads. Located two blocks from King Street, this distance resulted in a low location score.

6. Benton and Charles parking lot
This site received some high scores in the evaluation of its location; however, it finished low in the site rankings because of its size. It is too small to be considered.

Preliminary size estimates have also been calculated (size calculations for the new Main Library were based on a Kitchener population estimated to be 234,500 in 2016). It is anticipated that the new library will need to be 128,000 gsf in total. To accommodate an additional 100,000 potential users, the library would need 167,500 gsf. To serve a user base of 350,000, space requirements would be 175,000 gsf.

April 28, 2003
KPL Main Library Assessment Study Released

The Kitchener Public Library Main Library Assessment Study has recommended that the Main Library be relocated, stating the current site doesn’t adequately accommodate current usage or future expansion.

As a result of the study, conducted by Beckman Associates Library Consultants, the Kitchener Public Library Board asked for Kitchener City Council support to move forward with Phase 2 of the Needs Assessment study for a new Main Library. The assessment will include a review of key functional and design requirements, and a look at possible site options for the new Library.

“Libraries are one of the most important components of healthy communities. Libraries serve people of all ages, providing a place to explore ideas, arts and literature,” said Bryan Isaac, Chair of the Kitchener Public Library Board. “It is vital that we continue to make investments to ensure libraries continue to meet needs well into the future.”

Mr. Isaac stated that for the past four years, the Board has recognized that a study was required to determine the location’s feasibility for future expansion to meet the growing population and service expectations. Funds were earmarked for 2003 to complete the assessment study.

Studies of KPL have revealed that residents consider the library to be one of the most important services provided by the City. A 2002 public opinion study commissioned by the City of Kitchener and conducted by PMG Consulting found that 82 per cent of respondents considered KPL as one of the most important services in the community. Only essential services such as fire, utilities and snow removal ranked higher.

As well, usage of the Kitchener Main Library system, as measured by the Ontario Public Library standards, is very high.

However, the report indicates that this success has brought significant challenges. It stated that the serious lack of space at KPL Main Library is apparent. Book stacks are filled to capacity and occupy areas originally designed for other uses. Parking is inadequate. The older building is becoming outdated and has many operational deficiencies. In addition, older heating and ventilation systems have put the library’s historic collections at risk.

KPL’s Main Library was found to be deficient in 11 of the 16 criteria as set out by the provincial, national and international library associations, which define the design requirements for public library buildings.

The report examined the Main Library’s location and site, entrance/exit and security, flexibility and expansion, power and communications, structure, acoustics, HVAC and mechanical systems, functional relationship and operational efficiency, signage and display and special access.

Synopsis of the report:
• The present size (approx. 81,850 gross square feet [gsf]) is 20,000 gsf short of being adequate by the standards set out by the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Culture.
• By 2016, the Main Library should have 128,975 gsf in order to serve a projected population of 234,500 people.
• The branch should be located on or adjacent to the main street of downtown.
• The parking lot is too small, with only 44 shared spots available. At its current size, there should be parking for 272 cars.
• An expansion to 128,975 gsf would require approximately 430 parking spaces.
• With two separate entrances, it is difficult for staff to oversee both at the same time.
• Severe overcrowding has created sightline issues.
• The present building has been expanded twice and it is not possible to expand at the existing site without creating additional confusion in collection and service arrangements.
• In most areas power and communications cannot be distributed to mid-floor locations without difficulty, as the building was not designed to accommodate these services.
• The existing foundations, columns, and roof structures haven’t been designed with consideration for additional floors (vertical expansion).
• The current site does not have enough space to horizontally expand -- it would remove current available parking.
• Horizontal or vertical expansion would necessitate the construction of a parking facility.
• The teen area is too crowded and not sufficiently separated from other services to provide any sound barriers.
• The current chiller is over 40 years old and has problems with pumps, dampers and valves.
• Consideration will have to be given in the near future to either retrofitting or replacing the existing chiller. (The cost today could be in excess of $300,000.)
• Other HVAC problems include very low humidity. As well, there is a lack of return air grilles in the plenum ceiling in almost all library areas.
• Staff work rooms are inadequate in size, furnishings and locations.
• The lack of adequate space at the Main Branch has resulted in a library that is not as easy to understand or as comfortable to work in as it otherwise should be.
• The helpful staff goes a long way in overcoming the disadvantages of crowding and congestion, creating the feeling that the Main Branch is a busy but rewarding place to visit.
• The exterior signage for the Library is inadequate. As a result of nearby residential housing, large commercial signage is not welcome.
• KPL internal signage system has been co-ordinated so that signs are easy to find and understand.
• While KPL has provided the necessary special access equipment and services for its users, the crowded conditions mean that many users requiring special access may not have the amount or type of space they require.

“I think this report also reveals how industrious our staff has been despite current conditions,” said KPL Chief Executive Officer, Peggy Walshe. “They have moved collections and adapted services to meet changing needs. They have also worked very hard to create a pleasant library environment. However, we have reached an impasse and need to examine our options for the future.”

In 1999, Beckman Associates Library Consultants were commissioned to review KPL’s community library system. Its recommendations led to the development of the Grand River Stanley Park Community Library and the Country Hills Community Library.