Ompah Library

Jeff Green | May 20, 2010

A small but determined group of Ompah residents have been seeking the return of two hours of library service per week to their library.

At the same time they are worried that the board of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library intends to close their library entirely.

It all started when the Plevna library found a new home early this winter. In order to encourage use in the new library, which makes use of a renovated portable classroom, the library board increased the hours that the Plevna library was open by two per week, from eight to 10.

These two hours and previously been provided at the Ompah branch, which is now down to four hours a week, from six.

The rural services sub-committee of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library met in Kingston in April and they considered a request by the Ompah library users to return their two hours of service. They decided to recommend that the branch hours remain as they are.

Janice Arthur, one of the Ompah residents advocating for more hours, attended that meeting.

According to Janice Arthur, not only were the Ompah hours rejected, but the library board chair, Claudette Richardson, indicted that the Library “fully intends to go ahead with the recommendations of the 2004 library services report with respect to Ompah.” The library services report called for the Ompah library to close.

When contacted by the News, Claudette Richardson and Wilma Kenny, the chair of the rural services committee and vice-chair of the library board, both said that no such statement had been made.

Claudette Richardson recalled that the conversation about the library hours ended up delving into a discussion of two issues that could impact rural branch service: accessibility issues as well as new rules that are anticipated regarding safety of library staff in response to a violent attack that took place last year at a library in Ottawa.

“These changes could impact our ability to deliver service at branches such as Ompah, but I certainly did not say there are plans to close the Ompah branch,” Richardson said. “Our recommendation for the rural branches is to leave the hours as they are for this year, and look at them next year.”

In a related development, Marily Seitz and John Inglis appeared before North Frontenac Council on May 13.

They reported that the branch hours at Ompah seem to be stuck at the current four, and expressed their concern that the branch may be facing closure. They also reported that the Frontenac County Council representative to the library board, Frontenac Islands Mayor Jim Vanden Hoek, had arrived late to the rural services sub-committee meeting, after the Ompah hours issue had been dispensed with.

Marily Seitz asked Council the following question: “What follow-up action will Council take to ensure the return of the two hours of service to the Ompah library?”

Mayor Maguire said, “I am disappointed by this. I will bring it back up at County Council again. It is through the county that we deal with the library board so I have to go that route. But people here know that we have had problems with the county.”

The township plans to build a new fire hall this year and free up space at the existing fire hall, which is housed in the same complex as the current, postage stamp-sized Ompah library.

In light of this, John Inglis asked, “Will Council pass a resolution to agree, in principle, to expand the Ompah library?”

“I’d rather wait until we’ve got the ground turned across the road,” said Mayor Maguire, referring to the location of the new fire hall across Road 509, opposite the current one.

When asked, Claudette Richardson was reluctant to make any commitments towards the Ompah branch should the township come forward with expansion plans. “I can’t say anything about a potential plan. If they bring something forward, we will look at it then. All I can say is that we provide the best library service we can, with limited funds,” she said.