The New West Progressives are calling on the City of New Westminster to launch a curbside library pickup service.
With libraries closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, some cities, including Coquitlam and Burns Lake, have introduced a curbside pickup service. Library patrons preorder books, DVDS and other items, and then pick up the items in a manner deemed to be safe.
“The curbside library is a fabulous idea,” said Daniel Fontaine, president of the New West Progressives. “I’d love to be able to get that going. There are prototypes and models in other cities, like Burns Lake and Grand Prairie.”
The curbside pickup program was one of the items discussed during the New West Progressives recent board meeting.
“People are dying to get their library access again. I am hoping they can do it,” he said. “I am hoping they can genuinely take it as a friendly suggestion and look at implementing it and get those librarians back into the library.”
While the COVID-19 situation changes daily, it’s currently unknown when libraries and schools will reopen.
“We need to get these kids access to books. Especially kids that are at the lower income, their parents can’t just go and buy books at Walmart or this place,” Fontaine said. “They rely really heavily on these community services.”
Julie Spurrell, the city’s chief librarian, said she has received a number of inquiries from “eager library users” about the possibility of the New Westminster Public Library providing a pickup service to residents.
“Although only a few local libraries are offering this service at the moment, it is not surprising that people are eager to be able to borrow materials again,” she said. “At this time, we are working with all city departments to plan how we will start gradually providing services to our community in a way that ensures the safety of our staff and the public.”
In a May 5 email to the Record, Spurrell said the library expects to be able to start announcing its plans once the province reports on its re-opening plans later this week, and library staff has had a chance to review them with their colleagues in the city and in other libraries.
Following its brainstorming session, the New West Progressives issued a press release outlining some of the items they’d like the city to consider in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The group also believes city council should advocate that the province bring back the provincial hardship tax deferral program.
“Right now, seniors get a lower discount on the interest rate if they defer their taxes. But there was a program that allowed people back in 08-09, in the recession, they were allowed to defer their taxes if they had economic hardship,” Fontaine said. “So, we are recommending that the council either pass a motion or send a letter or let the province know we’d be very interested in supporting that initiative again, given the current economic climate is way worse than it ever was back in 08-09 and the province did allow that provision.”
Formed in 2017, the New West Progressives ran a slate of council and school board candidates in the 2018 civic election, successfully seeing Danielle Connolly elected to school board. It will be holding its annual general meeting (virtually) on June. 3.
“The process for beginning to establish candidate-recruitment and selection process will be scheduled to start this fall, so we are going to get that cranked up,” Fontaine said. “We are fully intending on running a slate, attracting candidates and doing even better than we did in the last election.”
