'Bring back the books': Saving Stoney Point's library

Windsor, Ont. -

An online effort to save the Stoney Point branch of the Essex County Library is underway.

Kalyn Belleperche started a petition last week from concern her hometown branch may close permanently.

“What I’m really trying to do is bring back the books in Stoney Point,” she says.

Belleperche says the small community library is an important fixture to Stoney Point that has served generations, “we don’t want this to go because if this goes, what else is going to go?”

On Wednesday, a handful of residents gathered outside the branch that has been temporarily closed since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020.

“The library is the last thing left. Everything else is gone,” says resident Walter Parent. “We don’t have anything else left for the community. It’s all been taken away from us.”

Parent is concerned library officials and the municipality of Lakeshore are considering moving or merging the branch to either Comber or Belle River. 

“It’s for the kids, it’s for the adults, take it away, where do we go?”

Residents gathered outside the Stoney Point branch of the Essex County Library in Stoney Point, Ont. on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. (Chris Campbell/CTV Windsor)

Robin Greenall, chief librarian and CEO of Essex County Library, says municipal council had recently indicated a program and outreach model of services be provided to the community, rather than a traditional library.

“This really is the time for us to adjust and continue to explore how we can broaden our services across the entire county of Essex in a way that is respectful to our taxpayers,” Greenall tells CTV News.

Greenall says the Essex County Library Board is not allowing public access to the facility, after reducing services to seven locations across the region. Greenall notes many services are available online, or by other means while they continue to analyze service delivery.

“We’re still waiting to see what COVID does bring us across all of our libraries. We now are offering programming through our virtual means, so through our social media platforms or through virtual meeting spaces and we will continue to do that until probably March of next year when we see loosening of restrictions for us to be able to provide open access to our community,” Greenall says.

Lakeshore mayor Tom Bain says a motion to reconsider is before council next week, which, if passed, means officials will again explore all options for library services in Stoney Point.

“Take another look at it and look at what options we’ve got there,” Bain says.

He says all options need to be considered considering the local school also lacks a library. Bain says a community centre which would include a library is also an option.

“We want to make sure that we provide the best service for those people out there so it’ll be in essence back to the drawing board,” Bain says.

The Stoney Point library branch has been closed since last spring in Stoney Point, Ont. on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. (Chris Campbell/CTV Windsor)