CBS Library celebrates 50 years of memories, ‘magic’ and hope

By Craig Westcott

There was music, balloons and cake, and some reminiscing as the Conception Bay South Library celebrated its 50th anniversary in its new quarters at the Clarence J. Morgan Building in Long Pond on April 25.

Gary Dawe a former long-time chairperson of the library’s volunteer board of directors, thanked everyone who showed up to mark the milestone, the library staff for helping put it off, and the current library board members for organizing the event. The board, he noted, sponsors a number of activities at the library, but that isn’t all.

“We make purchases of items that our library would be unable to obtain due to its very limited budget,” he said. “If you look inside our Maker’s Space, you will see items such as our 3-D printer that our board has purchased. We try to provide those items and services that make visiting our library a more enjoyable experience for our more than 14,000 registered patrons as well as other citizens of our town.”

The library is a busy and vibrant place, said Dawe, with circulation last year of more than 90,000 borrowings. “A library is more today than what it used to be when it was a place to borrow books,” he said.

Avalon MP Paul Connors said the library’s 50-year history is a legacy itself. He recalled an occasion some 10 or 12 years ago when he was first elected to CBS council and was invited to meet with members of the library board. The meeting was held around the kitchen table of one of the board members and the item under discussion was the need for a new building.

“They had all the information that was needed to support having a new library, a building like this, here in Conception Bay South,” Connors said. “I really saw the determination, the compassion, the commitment from the board to move this ahead. When I left that meeting that night I said to myself, ‘They’re getting a new library.’ And here we are with the new library… I’m really glad that we got this new facility, and that we got all the new things added to this library, because it’s very much needed in our community.”

Conception Bay South MHA and Deputy Premier Barry Petten was an executive assistant back then to then CBS MHA and cabinet minister Terry French when funding for the new library, which opened three years ago, was confirmed by the provincial government.

Petten said he remembers the “many people who lobbied government at the time and the dogged determination that came from that group.

“And it wasn’t easy to find a resolution to make this all happen, but it was the determination of the group that made it happen… Every time I think of the library I do realize this would never be here today without your determination and you should all be very proud of that,” he added. “This is a great asset to the community. And like Gary said, the library is no longer a place (just) to borrow books, it’s a resource centre… All libraries across the province are a focal point in the community. They’re not just for the books. Some communities have internet issues, and the library is always that centrepiece where they can go… It becomes a resource for many other things. We’re very fortunate to have a facility like this in our community. Fifty years is a long time, but I have no doubt it’s going to be around for many, many more years and many decades down the road, continuing to grow and continuing to provide great service to the community. So, congratulations on 50 years, and I wish you all the best.”

Mayor Darrin Bent pointed out the library serves more than 5,000 students from nine schools in CBS.

“Go back 50 years and think of all the students who went through all the schools in Conception Bay South and each one of them had a pathway from their school to the library to discover the world, to find a happy, safe place to be able to learn in a wonderful environment and it’s all provided by an amazing group of volunteers over the past 50 years who made a library in Conception Bay South possible,” Bent said. “I don’t know how many of you were actually at the original library. It was small… but it was a magical place. This is a magical place… I just want to say a heartfelt thank you to the volunteers and people who continue to work to make the library in our community a vibrant place.” 

Library board vice-chairperson Colleen Reid, who emceed the event thanked the speakers and everyone who made it possible.

“We are so fortunate to have this new beautiful library to carry us into the next 50 years and beyond,” said Reid. “Thanks to everyone who contributed to making this day a success. Many hands make light work. Thank you all.”