Tyendinaga Township Public Library renovated and ready to "entice future residents"
 by Shannon Binder Bray

 Over 100 people gathered on Saturday, March 5, 2005 at the newly renovated Tyendinaga Township Public Library for its official grand opening ceremony.  Greetings were received from Prince Edward-Hastings Member of Parliament Daryl Kramp and Minister of Culture Hon. Madeleine Meillieur who could not attend the ceremony celebrating the opening of the Library which had been originally established in 1974 when it partnered with the Belleville Library.  Library Board Vice-Chair John Hopkins was  the master of ceremonies for the event and welcomed speeches from Prince Edward-Hastings MPP Ernie Parsons, Bancroft Mayor and Hastings County Warden
Charles Mullett, Tyendinaga Township Reeve Margaret Walsh, South Ontario Library Services Library Development Consultant Peggy Malcolm, Early Years and Family Space Executive Director Kelly Mathesion, Library Board Chair Ingrid Wood, Librarian/CEO Frances Smith, and Centre Hastings Deputy-reeve Larry Mitz. The speakers were all in agreement that the renovated Library showed "a true partnership and integration" for family and community needs, was "an asset to the Township" - "a wonderful place to meet and mingle", was something to be proud of as it represents "a lot of work by a great number of people.....but obviously a job well done", and coupled with the new Recreation Complex, would "entice future residents" to the area.   The opening ceremony also included a ribbon cutting celebrating an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant which was used for new shelving, children's furniture, and books, as well as the presentation of a painting by Lorna Bates, donated in her memory by her family to the library. The piece titled Lonsdale Mill serves as a dedication to Mrs. Bates who volunteered as a Planning Committee and Board Member to the Library after spending years first as a school teacher at SS#11 and Tyendinaga Public and then as the Shannonville Librarian. It was Mrs. Bates who encouraged current Librarian Frances Smith to take over for her in 1988. Since 1996 Frances had hopes of expanding the library's space and renovation planning began in 2001. Renovations expanding the space from 750 square feet to over 3000 square feet were completed in December of 2004 and the library opened to the public January 20, 2005.
 Librarian Smith and Library Board Chair Ingrid Wood wish to thank everyone in the community who have donated time and dollars" including the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Friends of the Library, Deseronto Public Library board and staff, Ontario Early Years, Tyendinaga Township Recreational Coordinator Liette Osborne, Tyendinaga Public School, Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board, Bob's Portable Toilets, community members who "fostered" over 2,000 books during the renovations, Cooney Transport, ITS, John Sexsmith, Chris Morden and crew, Roy Kendall, Peggy Malcolm, area libraries and municipalities for their support, Township Council, Township of Tyendinaga Office Staff, the Library Board, subcommittee, library staff, and the Melrose Rangers.