The former Village of Norwich has enjoyed public library services since 1851, over 150 years. The branch library in Norwich was integrated into the Oxford County Library system in 1965.

The current library facility is a Carnegie Library Building constructed in 1914. The building is approximately eighty-seven years old and significant challenges have been identified with the facility. These challenges include accessibility for seniors, those with disabilities, young mothers with children, and others; a lack of washrooms and other appropriate amenities; overcrowded conditions; and antiquated building systems.

In 2001, the Oxford County Library, the County of Oxford and the Township of Norwich formed a joint committee, the Norwich Branch Library Feasibility Committee, with a mandate to explore the feasibility of either expanding the existing library facility or building a new library. The Township also has had some discussions on a plan to possibly make space available for a new library facility in a future multi-use initiative.

To complete the feasibility study, F.J. Galloway Associates Inc. of London, Ontario, was retained to undertake the consultations, analysis and to develop recommendations related to the feasibility of enhancing library services in Norwich.

In support of the research, the following key activities and tasks were completed:

· Seven focus groups, involving representatives of the seniors community, young adults, municipal councillors, adult users, community organization representatives and on-site library staff.

· Interviews with senior library staff.

· Sessions with the Feasibility Committee.

· Examination of site alternatives and facility inspections with owner representatives.

· Review of appropriate population, facility, budget and other documents.

· Other inputs as appropriate to the study.

This report represents a draft of the Feasibility Study. It will be reviewed by the Feasibility Committee. Once reviewed and amended, a public forum will be undertaken to present the recommendations and to gather further community input.

2.0 OPERATING ENVIRONMENT

2.1 The Township of Norwich

The Norwich Settlement Area is primarily a rural area located in the southern portion of Oxford County. It is connected to Woodstock by Highway 59, some thirty kilometres to the north, and to the Delhi area twenty kilometres to the south.

The Norwich Settlement Area represents the former village of Norwich prior to amalgamation. Other settlement areas in the Township include Otterville and Burgessville.

The Norwich Settlement Area is home to the Norwich District Secondary School; two elementary schools; the Norwich District Arena and Community Centre; a commercial core area with a wide range of financial, retail and other services; and agricultural and agribusiness services. The area also has a significant Dutch population component.

Figure 1 illustrates the community and the existing Norwich Branch Library site.

2.2 The Oxford County Library System

Table 1 profiles the eighteen branch libraries operated by the Oxford Public Library and provides their volumes of use for the years 1991 to 2001.

Table 1 Oxford County Library 1991 to 2002
	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
Beachville	4,406	4,598	4,549	4,235	4,304	3,709	4,045	4,460	4,213	3,477	3,757
Brownsville	3606	3,975	4,272	4,778	5,047	5,477	5,380	5,974	5,337	5,152	6,032
Burgessville	12,722	12,851	11,925	12,651	14,676	16,138	14,284	12,626	11,404	14,682	17,891
Drumbo	9,031	9,317	9,551	8,821	8,622	10,195	9,159	8,497	8,623	8,364	9,743
Embro	9,783	10,618	9,618	9,498	9,404	8,299	8,404	7,526	6,267	6,140	6,864
Harrington							1,173	990	1,542	889	1,066
Hickson	6,080	5,946	6,877	7,437	8,069	7,706	7,937	8,851	8,374	9,025	10,471
Ingersoll	51,612	61,359	66,538	68,561	75,460	85,152	109,190	101,946	95,251	100,391	104,084
Innerkip	10,647	10,826	9,695	7,908	8,272	8,319	7,696	8,506	9,354	8,715	9,504
Kintore	4,510	4,518	4,829	2,885	3,821	2,876	4,335	4,745	4,148	3,759	3,395
Mount Elgin	4,458	4,737	4,248	3,846	4,293	4,506	3,782	3,653	4,732	5,402	6,605
Norwich	17,214	18,424	16,916	16,455	15,971	19,310	19,880	17,633	24,564	32,376	37,520
Otterville	8,082	8,194	10,230	11,309	12,036	10,478	11,265	11,757	12,540	11,990	11,526
Oxford Centre	6,591	6,702	7,046	7,124	7,001	6,955	6,190	5,278	4,935	7,264	9,816
Plattsville	5,773	8,450	9,428	12,126	11,489	12,471	13,400	13,478	14,328	15,451	17,014
Princeton	12,580	14,804	13,842	12,107	12,665	12,619	13,438	13,732	13,524	13,833	15,967
Tavistock	12,828	14,949	14,821	15,200	13,626	12,917	13,885	14,251	17,770	16,650	14,803
Thamesford	18,886	22,175	21,294	17,998	19,602	21,021	20,239	18,285	18,584	16,308	17,096
*HQ-County	10,677	8,197	7,697	8,885	8,819	9,130	641
*HQ-City	4,716	5,556

1.0 INTRODUCTION

2.0 OPERATING ENVIRONMENT

2.1 The Township of Norwich

2.2 The Oxford County Library System