The week of Oct 20 – Oct 26 is Public Libraries Week.

I could not be more proud to be the city councillor responsible for our Eleanor London Côte Saint-Luc Public Library.

Mayor Brownstein, Director West, staff and I at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

 Last month we completed the installation of the new acoustic study pods as well the renovation of the reference area. It really looks fantastic and on October 20, Mayor Brownstein, Chief Librarian Janine West and other senior library staff accompanied me for a ribbon cutting ceremomy. Some of the money to finance the project came from the 2022 $500.000 donation by Roslyn Margles. You can also now borrow an IPad or laptop while at the library by inserting your library card in a slot.

The iPads and laptops available to use at the library.

 And the news keeps getting better! Our library received a 96 percent score for library service from the Association des bibliothèques publiques du Québec (ABPQ) for service in 2023, which is the highest score we have ever received and well above the Quebec average.

Each municipality is assessed on quantifiable indicators including acquisition costs of books and other materials, opening hours, surface area, seating capacity, full-time employees—including librarians and technicians. Extra points are awarded if a library has abolished late fees and offers free memberships.
The 96 percent score in 2023 follows previous scores of 88 percent (2018), 90 percent (2019), 79 percent (2020), 87 percent (2021), and 89 percent (2022). The average percent score is 73 percent among municipalities part of the ABPQ with a population of between 25,000 and 49,999.The program was created to highlight the investments made by municipalities to provide quality libraries for their citizens. Read the report including the breakdown of scores.

The top score from the library association is a testament to Library Director Janine West and her staff, who continue to improve the service and the physical space. Bravo to our team!

“We have long known that the Côte Saint-Luc Public Library is a special place, from the days when founding librarian Eleanor London read story time children like me, to today with our expensive library of books and other materials, and our innovative programs and activities, ” added Mayor Brownstein.