Jason Unrau
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Jan 20/06) - Amalgamating Inuvik's public library and the elementary and high school libraries in the planned $64-million K-12 school came up at town council last week and councillor Clarence Wood warned it could be a contentious issue.

And with the feasibility study for the proposed joint elementary-high school facility under wraps, questions about what would and would not be included in the $64-million mega-school remain.

"All we're doing this is evaluating the pros and cons of a shared library," said Mayor Peter Clarkson.

Inuvik's Centennial Library on Mackenzie Rd. is owned an operated by the Town of Inuvik at a cost of $350,000 a year.

When Public Works minister Floyd Roland announced the project last November, he stressed the elementary and high school components would be separate, joined by a gymnasium.

"We're looking at the Weledeh concept," he told the Drum last year, referring to the K-12 school in Yellowknife, which shares a gym with St. Patrick's high school.

"Inuvik's schools will still be separate facilities, one elementary and one high school but by constructing the two together, you can have a larger gymnasium, common heating and central administration."

However, in November 2005 the territorial government completed a feasibility study on a shared library concept for Inuvik leaving some library board members concerned that the idea is alive and well. This despite Inuvik Centennial Library Board Chair Peggy Jay's letter to town council back in June 2005 which stated, "although the community library concept has its merits, the board is unable to endorse it."

If the libraries were to merge in a public school location, everything from public access hours to policies governing reference material that can be kept on the shelf would have to be evaluated.

"The (public) library has the most to lose and the schools the most to gain," added Jay.

"There's no surveys being done to see if people even want the schools connected."

Town councillor Arlene Hansen, who also sits on the library board, says there's pros and cons to either keeping the status quo or going the community library route.

"The most important thing is keeping the 'public' in public library," she said.

"Because we can't start limiting access to a public facility which could become an issue if (the public library) moves on to school property."