Frequently Asked Questions
- Accessibility
- 1. The new library is being described as “accessible”. Specifically, what elements of the design have been considered to make the building accessible?
The building is being designed to conform with universal access principals. We are consulting with community representatives and the library will include features such as elevators, the use of colour, low counters, wheelchair accessibility and accessible technology.
- 2. Will the new library have family washrooms suitable for parents with opposite sex children and disabled people with assistants (who might be a husband or wife)?
We will provide family washrooms, or unisex washrooms, throughout the building that will also be suitable for anyone with a physical disability.
- Adult learners
- 1. Will there be a dedicated space for adult learners in the new library?
The third floor focuses on the needs of adult learners.
- 2. Will there be areas for quiet use as well as areas for group study?
One of the must-haves for the new library are quiet spaces to think, reflect and work. However, there also must be areas that accommodate different needs, such as families, groups, teens who want to play and socialize.
- Building Plan & Design
- 1. Are issues of accessibility being considered in plans for the Central Library?
Yes. Following input heard at the June 2, 2008 public meeting the statement on accessibility was revised and now reads, "The Central Library will incorporate universal design to ensure that the building and its services are accessible to all." The
library continues to meet with community representatives to ensure issues of
accessibility are addressed.
- 2. Will the green space and trees be preserved at the front of the location proposed for the Central Library?
The green space and trees will be considered during the architectural design. Planning of the outdoor spaces is in process.
- 3. How does the design of the library respect the character and history of the area?
Although the new building has a different physical representation from other buildings in Halifax, it is both a building of our time and our aspirations for the future. The new library represents a bold new direction for the municipality. It is open, democratic and welcoming, while representing the creativity and talent of the citizens of Halifax, through the collaborative nature of the design. The fifth floor (called the Halifax Living Room) visually connects two important views of our Maritime history: the Citadel and Halifax Harbour. We’re also referencing the history of the spring garden that used to occupy this exact site many years ago, with green within the building, but also a green motif on the exterior walls recollecting those gardens and surrounding trees. We are bringing back the green and creating a winter garden as a compliment to the summer garden, the Public Gardens.
- Archive
- Who was on the committee that selected the architects?
The team was comprised of staff from HRM and Halifax Public Libraries. The team members were:
· Terry Gallagher, Manager of Infrastructure & Facility Development, HRM
· Andy Fillmore, Project Manager, Urban Design, HRM
· Judith Hare, CEO of Halifax Public Libraries
· Susan McLean, Director of Public Services, Halifax Public Libraries
The process was overseen by Stephen Terry, HRM Senior Procurement Consultant, to ensure that the process was conducted in accordance with municipal procurement guidelines.
- City Space
- 1. What is the City Space?
The City Space is being designed as a flexible space to provide a venue for a range of cultural and community events. It will accommodate 90-350 people. When the space is not use for events, it will be available to individuals as part of the library space. The space will look onto the north plaza, a public space that is still being designed.
- 2. What will the seating be like?
The seating will be flexible allowing the space to be used formally and informally.
- 3. Will this space have all the equipment and standards that go along with a fully developed professional facility?
No, the City Space is not intended to be a fully developed professional facility. It will be a quality public space that will provide a venue for lectures, children’s performances, arts events, etc.
- Funding
- 1. What are the costs to build the new library?
The approved budget for the Central Library project is $55 million.
- 2. How is this funded, both short-term and long-term? Where is the funding coming from?
The federal government announced on Oct. 19, 2009 its intent to provide $18.3 million to the Central Library project under the Building Canada Fund. With this announcement, the provincial government has committed $13 million. HRM will provide the balance of the funding, $23.7 million.
- 3. The Keshen family left a bequest to the library. Why were these funds not held for the new Central Library?
The Keshen bequest was to be used to build a library within the boundaries of the city of Halifax. The bequest also stipulated that funds had to be used by a specific date or they would be given to another charity. Approval for a new Central Library could not be achieved within that time frame. The funds were used to build the Keshen Goodman Public Library, which was within the terms set by the estate.
- 4. Why is the old building getting repaired when we could be spending the money on a new library?
The repairs being carried out on the old building are required to keep the building operational. We will continue to provide library services from the current Spring Garden branch until the new Central Library opens in 2014.
- Archive
- Why can’t you just fix up the old Spring Garden Road Library instead of building a new library?
The present building dates from the 1950s and can no longer support the library’s needs in terms of programming, technology, health and safety, or security of the collections. A report completed in the 1990s: Central Library Project: Study for the Halifax Regional Library (A.J. Diamond, Donald Schmitt and Company) examined the present building. The report provides detailed background on the limitations of the building and why it could not be renovated to meet current demands for service.
- Future
- 1. What is the timeline on the Central Library project? When can we expect a new library to be built?
Funding from the federal government Building Canada Fund stipulates that the Central Library project be complete by the end of 2013, and will open in 2014. HRM and Halifax Public Libraries are currently working on timelines to meet this deadline. For more information, see the Central Library timeline.
- Memorial
- 1. How will the memorial aspect of the current branch be incorporated into the design of the new library?
The Library met earlier with veterans’ representatives and agreed on principles that will guide how the memorial is to be honoured. Details will be worked out as building plans move forward.
- 2. Isn’t the Spring Garden Road Memorial Library a memorial to our war dead? How is it going to be preserved?
It was decided in 1945 that an inanimate object (such as a statue, monument, or building) was not sufficient; the community wanted a living memorial that would continue to thrive and grow, and that a library, as
an institution that makes knowledge freely available to each and every resident of the city, was befitting. Discussions are ongoing about the future of the building and ultimately decision making rests with provincial and municipal governments.
- 3. Who owns the memorial items now in the Spring Garden Road Memorial
Library?
The Library owns the items.
- 4. What will become of the items now at the Spring Garden Road
Memorial Library?
This will be part of the ongoing discussions regarding the memorial, but the items will be preserved. We will update this information as plans are formulated.
- 5. Who decided the library should be a memorial?
In 1945, a committee made up of local businessmen and politicians was
formed to decide on a war memorial. Along with many local groups, the
committee decided that a new library would be built and that it would
serve as a memorial as well. The first sod was turned on April 21, 1949.
The library opened its doors to the public on November 12, 1951.
- 6. Will I still have free access to the memorial items?
We are still in the preliminary stage of planning. Both Books
of Remembrance are now available in digital format at halifaxpubliclibraries.ca
- 7. My family member's name is in the Book of Remembrance. Do I
have a say in what becomes of the memorial?
We are encouraging public input and feedback on plans for the new
central library, including the memorial. Please send your thoughts to central@halifaxpubliclibraries.ca
- Outdoor spaces
- 1. What will happen to the trees currently on the new building lot?
Plans are currently in process for the green spaces surrounding the library. The existing trees are being considered in these plans.
- 2. Will there be park areas around the new building?
There will be plazas at the south and north ends, but the outdoor spaces are still under design.
- Process
- 1. How can I stay informed about the Central Library?
The Central Library website is updated as soon as new information is available. You can also e-mail central@halifaxpubliclibraries.ca to request to be added to the e-mail list, or call 490-5744 to be added to the mailing list. You can also call or e-mail us with comments or questions.
- 2. How has input from the front-line staff been sought as part of the consultation process?
The architects met with staff to discuss their ideas for the new library. Just as the public were consulted in 2010, ideas from the front-line staff were sought and incorporated into the plans. Staff continue to be involved in the planning process.
- Archive
- Has a site been selected for a new Central Library?
Yes. The site for the new building will be at the corner of Spring Garden Road and Queen Street. A land transfer between HRM and the province was finalized in January 2010.
- Services & Atmosphere
- 1. Will the new library be open seven days a week? What will the hours be?
In doing the costing for the library operating expenditures when the building is opened, we assumed a 7-day service all year round. While funds are not available to expand the hours now at the Spring Garden branch, it will be essential to do so when the library comes on stream.
- 2. Will there be more technology?
The Central Library will have more technology in the form of additional computers, an expanded wireless environment, and most importantly, the right technology at the right time. The library will grow with our community and innovative technology will be a part of that growth by providing access to the tools our customers need to live and work in a virtual world.
- 3. Will there be bike racks?
Yes, most of the branches currently have bike racks.
- 4. Will there be a drive-by book drop?
This idea is currently being discussed with the architects, but we are having difficulty making it work on the site. Spring Garden Rd. is too busy to accommodate a stopping lane and the building set-back required by the city adds to the problem. Queen St. is very narrow, but we are hoping to convince the HRM traffic authority that a few 10-minute parking spaces need to be considered for quick returns.
- 5. What is the plan for comfortable seating in the new library?
The library will provide many more seats than currently at the Spring garden Road Library and many different styles of seating to accommodate different types of uses.
- 6. Will there be a reference desk at the new library?
We are providing staffed help desks in the Central Library, the only thing that is changing is the word reference. Interior plans are not yet final, but we plan to have at least two desks on every floor. Staff will be readily available at these desks to answer questions, help with computer problems or provide readers’ advisory assistance. In addition, there will be an information desk at the entrance and a staffed desk in the local history and genealogy department to assist researchers in this area and with general reference.
In the past, staff in reference areas were dedicated to that function only. Today, we need our staff to provide reference service but to also be able to deal with other types of inquiries and assistance. Staff are coming out from behind the desk onto the floor to help people wherever they happen to be. Reference collections are changing too, since much information is no longer available in print form but is available from on-line sources. Staff can and will be there to help people search effectively.
- 7. Will there be study rooms for groups and individuals?
Spaces are planned for small and large group activity as well as for independent, individual use.
- 8. How much totally quiet, separate reading space has been allocated within this building? Where is this space located within this new design?
On every floor of the library, quiet spaces are provided. Areas of activity are grouped together.
- 9. What will be the parking situation at the new library?
Underground parking will be provided in the building. Parking solutions are part of HRM’s Parking Strategy which includes the entire downtown core.
- 10. With so many things available online, how is a library relevant today?
Libraries help people refine their online search strategies and evaluate the accuracy of online information. While some information may only be available electronically, more traditional sources remain essential. The role of the public library, its services and its spaces continuously change to ensure enduring relevancy.
- Spring Garden Road Memorial Library Building
- 1. What will happen to the Spring Garden Road Memorial Library building? What about its heritage significance?
This building belongs to HRM. The municipality will determine an appropriate use for it. The building can no longer support the library’s needs in terms of programming, technology, health and safety, security of the collections or universal access. The Memorial Library is not a municipally-registered heritage property, although the building and grounds are an important focal point for the district.
- 2. What will happen to the statue of Sir Winston Churchill?
The statue of Sir Winston Churchill will remain in Grafton Park, across the street from the new Central Library.
- 3. What will happen to the park at the Spring Garden Library?
The land is designated as a park and it will remain a park.
- Archive
- Instead of building a new library why can’t the current facility be renovated?
The present building dates from the 1950s and can no longer support the library’s needs in terms of programming, technology, health and safety, or security of the collections. A report completed in the 1990s: Central Library Project: Study for the Halifax Regional Library (A.J. Diamond, Donald Schmitt and Company) examined the present building. The report provided detailed background on the limitations of the building and why it could not be renovated to meet current demands for service.
- Sustainability
- 1. Does the building program include green initiatives?
The Central Library building will be built following LEED Gold standards. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ sets out tools and performance criteria for sustainable green buildings.
- 2. Will solar power be used in the new library?
Both solar hot air heating and solar hot water heating were considered for the new library. However, upon further examination, the architects and engineers have found that solar power is not the best choice for the library at this time.
Instead of implementing solar hot air heating, heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) will be used. Using HRVs, 90 per cent of the heat in the building’s exhaust air will be transferred to the incoming air.
Solar hot water heating was also considered, but the library’s demand for hot water is quite low. Projects with a high hot water demand, such as pools and community centres, are better candidates for solar hot water heating. Some buildings using solar hot water heating in HRM include the Canada Games Centre, a retrofit project at the Centennial Pool and the HRM Community Solar Project.
Solar electric systems are still very expensive, so there would be no cost benefit to implementing this system in the new library. The new library will be built so that solar electric systems could be added if/when the economics become more favourable.
- 3. Can the new library store passive energy to heat the entire building?
The design for the new library has taken full advantage of the solar exposure to the south. A considerable amount of vision glazing is located on the south facing façade. The library will be constructed using a concrete frame and slab system, which provides thermal mass. Wherever the sun strikes the concrete slabs, the solar energy in the form of heat will be absorbed by the structure and released during periods with less sunlight.
The main floor construction will have in-floor radiant heating pipes. In areas where the sun is striking a portion of the slab, the warmed water will move through the pipes to other areas of the building. This pipe system will also remove excess heat during the summer months.
- 4. What will the library’s carbon emissions be?
The design team is targeting an energy use that is 30 to 40 per cent lower than comparable buildings that meet the requirements of the Canadian Energy Code. The design is progressing on the basis that heating energy will be supplied by a third party through a district heating system. The carbon emissions per energy unit from this third party system are currently unknown, but they are based on natural gas as a fuel source using efficient heating equipment. (When used for heating, natural gas has a carbon emission per energy unit that is about a fifth of what an energy unit of electricity in Nova Scotia emits.)
The design team is using a computer simulation to predict the building’s energy consumption. As the design progresses, the simulation is modified to reflect the building’s energy consuming features — heating, lighting, air conditioning, etc. Once the building design and simulations are complete and the carbon emissions associated with its heat source is known, energy use can be calculated.
- 5. Collisions with glass are a leading cause of bird deaths, particularly during spring and fall migration periods. What provisions have been taken into account around the potential for bird collisions?
The City of Toronto has published a document entitled Bird Friendly Development Guidelines and a rating system checklist entitled Bird Friendly Development Rating System that the design team of the library will consult.
One of the main guidelines for bird-friendly glass buildings is the creation of visual markers on the glass in the form of patterns, frits or decals. These markings are applied to the glass to reduce the reflectivity of the glass surface and to provide visual markers that are visible to birds. A key concept of the Central Library is that the external façade will be wrapped in an ornate natural or leaf-like motif pattern that refers to the site’s history as the Spring Garden. This pattern will be visible to local and migrating birds.
- 6. Why was glass chosen for the exterior? Isn’t glass the worst material to have because of energy conservation and heating costs due to the low R-value?
Although the external surface is glass, 50 per cent of the glass panels are fully insulated behind (and will not provide a view-through) in order to achieve the energy ratings required of a LEED Gold certified building.
The glazing provides effective natural light to the library, meeting and offices areas. This will reduce the electrical lighting requirements (automatically dimmed by light sensors) and also provide passive solar heat gain during the winter months, which saves energy.
Public libraries are open and democratic institutions. The new library building will express its public nature by being light and open. This was a theme that was repeated often during the public consultation process in 2010.
- 7. Has consideration been given to how the sun will travel about the building at all times during the year and that the area of the building facing Spring Garden Road is north facing? Will it be uncomfortable to be around that much glass?
Consideration has been given to how the sun will travel around the building during the initial schematic design of the library and as the detail of the design progresses. Design elements that reflect this concern include a south-facing winter garden that will retain passive solar heat in the winter and the leaf motif on the glazing that will filter light in a variety of ways. There will also be manual internal blinds for glare control.
Although the external surface of the library façade will be glass, up to 50 per cent of the façade will be highly insulated behind the glass. Internally, the building will provide a variety of spaces both open and glazed as well as closed and solid to suit the variety of preferences amongst library users.
- Vision
- 1. Why do we need a new Central Library?
The future library will blend the best of traditional library services with new and innovative spaces, making it a “vital centre for learning and culture in the heart of the community.” The proposed Central Library will replace the aging Spring Garden Road Memorial Public Library, which is rapidly deteriorating and no longer able to deliver service efficiently and effectively. As a civic landmark, the proposed Central Library will be a source of pride and inspiration for all residents and a welcome addition to the streetscape. Within the last decade there has been a resurgence of central libraries constructed worldwide as a key ingredient of successful and livable cities. Vancouver, Montreal, Winnipeg, Phoenix, Seattle, Amsterdam and Hong Kong are a few examples.
- 2. What impact will a new Central Library have on other branches?
A Central Library will strengthen services to all branches by enriching the collection of library materials available for borrowing for all users of Halifax Public Libraries. A Central Library allows for centrally-developed library services, giving the Library the ability to deliver an improved and consistent level of service to all branches. Other benefits include access to innovative technology and a broad spectrum of programming.
It is also important to note that improvements to branches will continue. Captain William Spry Public Library was refurbished in 2008-2009 and the new and expanded Woodlawn Public Library opened in April 2010. The Sackville and Alderney Gate branches are scheduled for refurbishment in 2011. The Sackville Public Library is also scheduled for refurbishment in 2010. We are also constantly striving to improve open hours at all library facilities.
