KFPL Seeks Feedback On Branch Hours, Draft Library Facilities Plan

Jul 20, 2022

To make a positive difference in the lives of everyone in Kingston-Frontenac, KFPL’s hours of operation must continue to meet the needs of our communities. The Library wants to offer equitable service across library branches.

The new Library Facilities Plan for KFPL branches will ensure that quality library facilities are provided over the next 20 years to respond to the emerging needs of both the urban and rural communities. A preliminary draft will soon be available, and KFPL is seeking community feedback.

The Library has also completed a Branch Hours Review for all Frontenac County branches. In fall 2021, KFPL gathered community feedback through a survey, which the Library has reviewed alongside the Draft Library Facilities Plan and KFPL’s visitor and borrowing data. KFPL is proposing changes or adjustments to hours at nine of the County’s 11 branches.

Central Frontenac

In Central Frontenac, the Draft Library Facilities Plan recommends maintaining all four Central

Frontenac branches due to the wide geographic area to be served. The plan also recommends that the Sharbot Lake Branch be expanded to better serve the community.

“Each hour of library operations has a cost, and there is no funding available to increase hours of service in the Township,” explained Kimberly Sutherland Mills, Director, Service Design and Delivery.

“KFPL wants to serve as many people as possible. To do this, we need to balance hours of operation across the branches to serve the most people possible with the same resources.”

KFPL’s analysis of feedback and data shows the following in Central Frontenac:

• The Sharbot Lake Branch is the busiest location, with 54.8 per cent (247) of Central Frontenac’s 2021 library users and per cent (7,487) of the year’s loans and renewals. 79.4 per cent of the branch’s active cardholders used the library in the past year.
• The Arden and Mountain Grove Branches, despite equivalent hours of operation, showed a significant difference in usage. Arden served 18 per cent (82) of the Township’s borrowers compared to Mountain Grove’s 12 per cent (55). Loans and renewals at the Arden Branch were more than double those at Mountain Grove, with Arden loaning and renewing 4,662 items compared to Mountain Grove’s 2,170.
• Despite the more limited hours at the Parham Branch, it welcomed 14.6 per cent (66) of the region’s borrowers and processed 18.9 per cent (3,337) of the loans and renewals in the Township.
• When compared to Mountain Grove, Parham has been consistently busier for the past four years. In 2021, the branch welcomed 18 per cent more borrowers and had 42 per cent more loans and renewals, with 60 per cent of the hours of operation.

“Looking at these numbers, the level of service KFPL offers is not balanced in Central Frontenac,” Sutherland Mills said. “While the Sharbot Lake Branch is not serving as many patrons as it could with increased resources, the Mountain Grove Branch is underutilized. To serve the most people possible, and provide equitable service in the Township, the library will need to move hours between locations.

The total hours of service offered in Central Frontenac will not change.”

There will be both positive and negative impacts. KFPL wants to minimize the negative impacts as much as possible. The Library proposes to:

1. Reduce hours at Mountain Grove by four hours per week. The branch will continue to offer more hours of service than needed for its current level of usage.
2. Adjust hours at Mountain Grove to align with one school day per week at Land O'Lakes Public School to increase usage at the branch.
3. Increase hours at Sharbot Lake by four hours per week. The branch will have fewer hours than needed for its current level of usage, but access will improve.
4. Align Saturday hours across the Township to offer a range of weekend options.

Community Consultation

KFPL is seeking community feedback on this decision, including recommendations to help minimize the impact on the community in Mountain Grove. Please join us at one of these Open House events in Central Frontenac:

Saturday, July 23 • 10 to 11 a.m. - Parham Branch. KFPL plans to adjust the hours of operation.

• 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. - Mountain Grove Branch. KFPL plans to reduce hours of service at the Mountain Grove Branch and realign hours of operation.

Thursday, August 11

• 6 to 8:00 p.m. - Sharbot Lake Branch. KFPL plans to increase hours of service and realign hours of operation.

North and South Frontenac Frontenac and Frontenac Islands

The Draft Library Facilities Plan recommends physical enhancements to branches in Cloyne, Storrington, Hartington and Wolfe Island, with some suggestions for updates at other locations.

KFPL is also proposing adjustments to hours of operation at the Cloyne, Plevna, Storrington, Hartington, Sydenham, and Wolfe Island branches. Open House events are planned for North and South Frontenac, and Frontenac Islands:

Tuesday, July 26

• 6 to 7 p.m. – Storrington Branch

Friday, July 29

• 11 a.m. to noon – Plevna Branch

• 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. – Cloyne Branch

Thursday, August 4

• 6 to 7 p.m. – Wolfe Island Branch

Saturday, August 6

• 10 to 11 a.m. – Sydenham Branch

Monday, August 8

• 6 to 7 p.m. – Hartington Branch

The community feedback gathered through these events will be used to finalize the Library Facilities Plan and the hours of operation at KFPL branches across the County. Reports on both will be shared with the Library Board in fall 2022.

Questions or additional comments can also be directed to Kimberly Sutherland Mills, Director, Service Design and Delivery, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (613) 549-8888 x3520.