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Bookworms, students and literature lovers will no longer need to make the trek to the second floor of Capilano Mall to visit their local library, as work on a new branch at 9915 67 Street NW began in earnest Thursday morning. Edmonton Public Library (EPL) CEO Pilar Martinez and Councillor Ben Henderson were among the notable attendees of a ceremonial ground breaking event, sticking shovels into the earth to mark the official start of construction.
EPL predicts that approximately 167,158 visitors will utilize the new branch annually, a significant jump from the 139,298 today. Bordering Edmonton's Fulton Ravine, library users will have access to a seated study space with the rampant greenery of the landscape serving as the backdrop. A larger community programming room of about 800 square feet is expected to fit 70 people, including adjacent outdoor space for events. The program room at the current branch can only seat a maximum of 42 people. A carefully crafted Makerspace will capitalize on the latest technology by featuring a 3D printer and computers with specialized software to bring out the creative sides of users.
Despite ongoing mall renovations and periodic elevator outages, patronage to the Capilano branch has increased 23 percent from 2014 to 2015. With ground floor access one of the many touted benefits of the new library, the annual number of visits are all but guaranteed to climb even higher. Set to open in late 2018, the branch is targeting LEED Silver certification.
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