Caledon Public Library Branch Renovation to Create a Maker, Media, and Innovation Lab

completed

• To re-imagine and refurbish an existing, but underutilized, library branch, making best use of the current facility and footprint. • To expand core library services to provide technologies, currently unavailable elsewhere in Caledon, in support of making, learning, innovation and entrepreneurship. • To better bridge the digital divide, ensuring that all in Caledon have access to services, connectivity and technologies that they could not otherwise access and/or afford. A proposed budget of $304,680 will support the refurbishment of an existing branch of 3175 sq. ft. This transition from a traditional library branch to a new service model will address a current gap in services and will include a maker space, meeting and training rooms, a recording studio, and spaces for co-working and connecting. The Library’s Master Plan Survey (2016) found that 66% of respondents considered these services to be an important element of a new or renovated library building. Adjacent to a major highway and a growing area of Caledon, the unique services at this branch will draw users from across Caledon’s population of 77,000. A refurbished branch will act as a destination, expanding the reach of the current model well beyond the immediate neighbourhood. Specific communities served will include entrepreneurs, small business owners, job seekers, students, artists and those who work from home - notably those located in rural areas with limited access to connectivity.