Over 2 000 people celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the Bibliothèque du Boisé in Saint-Laurent! Français
SAINT-LAURENT, QC, Sept. 11, 2023 /CNW/ - More than 2,000 Saint-Laurent residents turned out to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the borough's Bibliothèque du Boisé on Sunday, September 10, in the presence of author Dany Laferrière. Residents took part in numerous activities all afternoon long in the library, which was decorated with orange badges for the occasion.
Since 2013, the Bibliothèque du Boisé has welcomed over 3.4 million visitors—an average of 1,200 per day (excluding pandemic years), and has made over 4.2 million loans. Its bright, modern infrastructure—which was enhanced in 2019 by the Mixlab, a digital and multimedia laboratory, has earned it nearly 20 prestigious awards, most recently in 2017 with the Green Building Award from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.
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"Ten years later, Saint-Laurent can say "mission accomplished", because our residents are coming in droves to our borough's second library. This public gathering place was designed with everyone in mind: seniors, adults, families, job seekers and the business community. In the end, our expectations were far exceeded. It should be mentioned that, over the years, the library has distinguished itself through its innovative programs and services. Our users have gradually come to adopt as their own this ecological, state-of-the-art building, which blends in perfectly with its green, urban surroundings. We wish the Bibliothèque du Boisé a happy anniversary and hope that these first ten years will be followed by many more to come, so that we can continue to promote Saint-Laurent's culture and heritage."
Alan DeSousa, Mayor of Saint-Laurent
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The Bibliothèque du Boisé, inaugurated by Dany Laferrière on September 9, 2013, was once again able to count on the famous author to celebrate its 10th anniversary. In particular, he gave a talk entitled "Un plongeon dans l'encrier" (A dip in the inkwell), during which he reminded us of the importance of having such places to enable books to meet their readers.
Visitors of all ages and backgrounds, reflecting Saint-Laurent's population, were also treated to a musical journey back to the Middle Ages by the Skarazula group, who presented instrumental pieces, lively songs
and authentic medieval dance. Meanwhile, families in attendance enjoyed a tribute to childhood, dreams and the world of imagination through the animated tale of Alice in Wonderland. The children, in turn or in small groups, were moreover invited to read Québec books outloud, accompanied by Capitaine the dog. In addition, they had fun drawing Bibo, a character created by Yayo, an author and illustrator in residence at the Bibliothèque du Boisé.
As for the teenagers, they had the chance to discover and experiment with the Mixlab's digital tools, which help users develop their knowledge of robotics, photography, video game creation, virtual drawing and programming as well as recording their own music using specialized equipment.
As it may be recalled, this 44th library of the Réseau des bibliothèques de Montréal was the first in Canada, back in 2015, to obtain LEED Platinum certification—the top level of this high-quality North American environmental rating system. The library therefore provides outstanding energy performance, with geothermal power and a white-coloured green roof. In addition to this useful and pleasant décor, this library is, above all, a convivial, welcoming and inclusive living environment, with universal accessibility.
This 4,000-m² library contains 170,000 documents, including 3,000 in foreign languages; 500 audio books and a collection dedicated to sustainable development. It also houses the museum reserve of the Musée des maîtres et artisans du Québec and the Lethbridge Exhibition Centre, which has presented over twenty free exhibitions and cultural experiences, to date!
Innovative services introduced since its opening include the loan of musical instruments, iPads and video games; storytime in Arabic, Spanish and Mandarin; and partnerships with local organizations such as Carrefour jeunesse emploi St-Laurent, which led to the creation of the podcast Deux générations, un micro.
There's no doubt that the Bibliothèque du Boisé contributes to Saint-Laurent's ranking among the municipalities and boroughs recognized for the excellence of their libraries in the first national portrait of Québec public libraries produced by the Association des bibliothèques publiques québécoises, according to the La Presse newspaper.
About the borough of Saint-Laurent
A city established in 1893, Saint-Laurent became one of Montréal's 19 boroughs in 2002. Located north of the island of Montréal, Saint-Laurent is the largest borough of all, with its 42.8 square kilometres. Its population of over 100,000 is one of the most multicultural. With the borough having become a "sustainable municipal territory" in 2019, its Administration places sustainable development—and environment protection, in particular—at the heart of all its decisions: a challenge that is all the greater since more than 70% of its territory is devoted to industrial and commercial activities, with over 4500 companies and 110,000 jobs. In fact, it is home to one of Québec's main industrial and technological hubs. Already boasting great accessibility to the main highways and public transit, Saint-Laurent is getting ready to welcome 5 train stations within the new Réseau express métropolitain (REM) light rail network. And last but not least, with Saint-Laurent's two libraries, its Centre des loisirs (recreation centre), its new Complexe sportif, its arena and some 50 parks, a wide range of services are offered in many areas of activity, such as culture, sports and recreation. In this way, Saint-Laurent's Administration ensures a high quality of life for families living in the borough as well as a favorable environment for businesses.
SOURCE Ville de Montréal - Arrondissement de Saint-Laurent
Source: Marc-Olivier Fritsch, chargé de communications, Direction d'arrondissement, Division des communications et des relations avec les citoyens, Arrondissement de Saint-Laurent, [email protected] ; Information: Media lines: 438 368-3318 or 514 229-1673
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