The Harris Learning Library is closing in on its 1-millionth visitor. They’ll be marking the occasion tomorrow with a celebration at 11:00am. It will feature short speeches, refreshments and prizes in lieu of sirens, flashing lights, balloons and streamers as that lucky 1-millionth visitor walks through the door.
Executive Director of Library Services Nancy E. Black says it’s going to be a wonderful day of celebration for a fantastic building, the amazing people who work there and the students and community members who use the facility. Black added it’s fabulous that so many people have accessed their services over the past six years, and it’s a testament to the value of the library.
The award-winning Harris Learning Library opened in 2011. It receives over 700 visitors per day, and nearly 170,000 visitors each year. Library staff assist roughly almost 11,000 individuals in accessing information each year. It’s also home to thousands of online and print resources.
Construction on the $25-million, 56,000 square foot facility started in 2009 after a community fundraising campaign that raised $7-million and engaged 1,700 individual donors. The Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities, Northern Ontario Heritage Fund and Fednor also provided significant funding.
