It may be small, and it may be humble, but it was the centre of attention on Monday, October 27, as town staff and residents gathered to celebrate Niverville’s first public library, a take-one, leave-one facility that will open its doors on November 1.

Located at the south end of the Centennial Arena, shelves of donated books now fill a cordoned off section, neatly organized according to genre. Based on those genres, there is something in these walls to appeal to readers of any age.

Beyond the library walls are tables and chairs for guest use.

“When we want to do projects in this community, you kind of look at what the end goal is,” said Mayor Myron Dyck in his remarks. “And you ask yourself, ‘Can we do it all in one bite or do we need to do it in a series of bites and steps?’ When it comes to a library, we look at the cost of space and operating and putting goods and services into it and say, ‘That might be a few years away yet, but we can start today.’”

Realizing that books are only a small part of what makes up a public library, Dyck reminded residents that programs that might have functioned here already exist at Niverville’s CRRC, just a short walk away.

Those programs include neighbourhood storytime, a ukulele club, and a space for mini-creators. Currently, he adds, the Niverville recreation department runs 68 different programs.

While this library takes its first baby steps towards the hope of one day becoming something more substantial, Councillor Meghan Beasant is the proud parent overseeing its development. Beasant ran her election campaign three years ago on a promise to pursue the feasibility of a public library.

To develop into something more substantial, though, Beasant says there are very specific steps that will need to fall into place. First and foremost, it will require the formation of a library committee of volunteers that operate at arm’s length of council.

“If this [library] does well, perhaps we can get interest back in the public to form that library committee,” Beasant says.

All the information and assistance, as well as some funding subsidies, are available through the provincial government’s Public Library Services Branch.

In the meantime, council chose to adopt the current take-one, leave-one library model, thus keeping costs minimal and staff requirements low. The goal is to organize a band of volunteers to operate it with only one volunteer needed per shift. Already Beasant says they’ve gotten commitment from six local volunteers, but they’ll need more.

No experience is required, since books won’t be officially logged in and out. The hope is that, if books are not returned, others will be donated in an effort to help replenish stock.

For now, the humble space is already full with more boxes waiting in boxes, gifted to the new library by generous individuals. To accommodate more displays, council is considering adding rolling shelves that can be stored behind the library’s locked doors when it’s closed and rolled out into the common area when it opens.

Instead of full-fledged library dedicated to Niverville specifically, another future option is a regional library. One year ago, Beasant joined other municipal leaders from around the southeast to discuss interest in such a project.

Attendance was good and interest seemed high, she said. Today, there are ten people in that group, representing communities as far apart as Niverville, Piney, and Ste. Anne. Together they’re creating a proposal to bring back to their individual councils. Should there be a ubiquitous interest, a committee would be formed and next steps addressed.

“A regional library doesn’t actually have much of a definition,” Beasant says. “Is it one location? Is it lots of locations? Is it a mobile vehicle? That’s up to the communities involved.”

For now, Niverville residents are encouraged to make use of the new lending library. Open hours will be announced on the town’s website soon. Beasant is hopeful there’ll be enough volunteers available to see it open during daytime, evening, and weekend hours.

 “All are welcome,” says Beasant. “I’m excited to see where this project goes.”