What are some cost effective options to transform Hamilton Central Library into a more engaging space?
Project Description: We have an area of the Central library that is not very well utilized, yet it’s an attractive space that has lots of foot traffic and exposure to York Boulevard. We would like to improve this space to better serve our community by developing it into an informational and promotional hub for the Library, City departments, and community partners and initiatives.
The vision is for the Library, City of Hamilton, and community groups/agencies/event organizers to use this space to promote their initiatives. An important goal of this project is to enable this space as a hub of everything going on in Hamilton, not just the Core. Another goal is to improve the library’s street presence on York Boulevard. We will strive to keep this area fresh with input from other community groups representing schools, festivals, street fairs, community events, community advocacy groups (etc.) as well as highlighting programs and events at Central and other library locations. We wish to develop this area as a place where citizens and visitors can see what is happening in all our little communities across the City of Hamilton. This space needs to be flexible and easy to use. The program itself needs to be developed with the needs of the groups that are to use this space. And finally, it needs to integrate with the library’s workflows and technologies as well as being cost effective for the library to sustain this shared space.
We anticipate that this area will complement our other shared spaces at Central Library (4th floor zones/gallery, Hamilton Room auditorium, Central’s Living Room display space) that are also used by our community partners.
City Staff: Assad Hoosein, Manager of Facilities
Instructor(s): Laurie Busuttil, Redeemer University College
Department: Business/Core
Students: 20
Course: CTS 410
Deliverable(s): A report outlining students whose works will be included in the installation and what stories could be developed about those artists that could be enhanced by interactive and auditory presentations. Students in CTS 410 (Redeemer, F19) will complete the research and develop a plan for the installation. They can also begin to plan a gala opening night, potentially handing the details and the opportunity to create the installation off to a Mohawk College course taking place in the winter or to HPL staff.
Location: Ward 2
City Strategy Priority: Community Engagement and Participation, Economic Prosperity and Growth, Healthy and Safe Communities, Clean and Green, Built Environment and Infrastructure, Culture and Diversity, Our People and Performance, This project would enable all these priorities.