The Owen Sound & North Grey Union Public Library. (file photo)
The Owen Sound and North Grey Union Public Library is looking for books related to the Grey Bruce region to add to a new collection.
Library CEO and Chief Librarian Tim Nicholls-Harrison says the new collection honours Andrew Armitage, a former city chief librarian who passed last year at 82-years-old.
“We already have the Ioleen Hawkin local history collection, and that collection was something that Andrew had started in his time. What we have recognized, is the value of saying, ‘hey, we want to have a similar collection of Grey Bruce authors,’ and that is the Andrew Armitage Grey Bruce authors collection,” says Nicholls-Harrison.
Nicholls-Harrison says currently the library uses part of it book-buying budget to purchase those types of resources and make them available to residents. He adds for a library of their size, however, they generally have a lending and reading library where they are not keeping books forever, only until they are consumed.
“What we realized, is that we are doing a bit of disservice locally because there isn’t any place that really does have a collection of the resources of the creativity of our local citizens in Grey and Bruce. Bruce county has been building their own collection and I think it is a bit more focused on Bruce county authors. With the work that Andrew is doing, we just saw the value in try to say, ‘we want to have this collection of Grey Bruce,'” says Nicholls-Harrison.
Nicholls-Harrison says a book that would qualify would be one that is authored by someone who was from or lives in the region, is set in Grey Bruce or in a fictional place that may be inspired by Grey Bruce.
Nicholls-Harrison adds they are trying to fundraise to be able to buy books for the collection and are calling out to the community if they have any books they would like to donate.
“If we have too many copies of something, we are not going to keep 30 copies of a book or that type of thing, we would then utilize it in our book sale to be able to purchase other materials,” says Nicholls-Harrison.
He invites residents to come by the library and consider donating books relating to the Grey Bruce region.
