Sarnia's Mallroad library is closing its doors for good on October 31, as crews prepare to move some 17,000 titles, equipment and other supplies to the new location above Clearwater Arena.
The new Wellington Street site, currently under construction, will be right next to the city's new $3-million transit terminal which is still being built.
County of Lambton Manager of Library Services Darlene Coke said it's an ideal location.
"It really gets us closer to a really bustling residential neighbourhood and growth area," said Coke. "It also allows us to serve families and people who are using the Clearwater Arena.
Coke said the new space will have more amenities and will be fully accessible to the public.
"We're looking forward to the addition of a program room which can also double as a private meeting space," she said. "We don't have that space at Mallroad Library. It's been popular at other libraries and we're excited to add that as a new feature at the Clearwater Library."
Sarnia staff had previously said there will be some cost savings associated with the move.
A report said the upper hall at the arena currently has a utilization rate of 16 per cent and brings in about $10,000 a year from rentals, while $70,000 is spent annually on the Mallroad branch.
You can return items to the book return bin only until November 9.
After that, you can take your returns to neighbouring libraries in downtown Sarnia, Bright’s Grove, and Point Edward.
A specific move in date has yet to be finalized, as they're waiting for milestone dates surrounding the construction schedule at Clearwater.
Coke is hopeful they can be settled in around mid-January of 2024.
"While the City of Sarnia prepares the space for us, the County of Lambton has responsibilities for the pieces of the space that provide the service for us. So, we still need some time to be building the service desk and some other construction work at Clearwater as well," said Coke. "There's a tremendous amount of administrative work tied to our catalog, and moving those 17,000 titles from one location to another. So, there's a lot of planning work and coordination between the technology aspect of our service and the physical moving of our items, and then also preparation."
Lambton County Library has been operating Mallroad Library from its Lambton Mall Road location for 43 years and it circulates the second-highest number of items.
In 2022, the library circulated 92,947 items, and in a typical week welcomes 998 visits.