When the library was opened in 1899, this magnificent Tudor Revival building reflected the Victorian community which it served. At the time, Canada was an English Colony and Westmount’s upper classes modeled themselves after English aristocracy.
Simply put, a Victorian-modeled society was a male-dominated society, a society that shaped the use of the Westmount Public Library.
Two reading rooms. One for men. The other for women.
And children? Not heard. Not even seen.
It took a tenacious Head Librarian, Mary Saxe, 10 years of lobbying before City Council consented to build a children's library – albeit with a wall between the two buildings (old habits of thinking die hard!)
But Council did however respond to Saxe’s request for a dedicated children’s librarian.
Mary Saxe continues to be an inspiration to Online Services and Archives Librarian Lora Baiocco who has developed a passionate interest in the life and soul of Mary Saxe. She is also interested in W.D. Lighthall, former Westmount mayor, who worked closely with Saxe.
The Centennial Celebration
Towards the end of the 20th century, the library was falling apart.
And the City Council was reluctant to spend the big sums needed to restore it.
May Cutler, a loved-by-all feisty publisher and Westmount resident, was a person driven to action who couldn’t take the procrastination.
“If these guys won’t get the ball rolling, I will.”
She ran for mayor of Westmount and won! - to the surprise of everyone who didn’t vote for her.
Once May Cutler got the ball rolling and saw that suave and elegant Peter Trent, negotiator par excellence, would pick up the ball and finish the job, she didn’t run for a second term and Peter Trent ran in her stead and took over as mayor.
And, in 1995, Westmount woke up one day to the sheer magnificence of the expanded Westmount Public Library - a restored glorious old building, and the newly-built, glamorous extension of an exciting new one.
The Centennial Celebrations with its explosion of cultural programs and community events marked a mammoth change in the expansion of the direction of the Westmount Public Library – indeed of libraries in general - a harbinger of a new definition of the Mission statement: “enrich the community”
Flash forward 19 years.
Under Cardella’s management style and under Donna Lach, Assistant Director, the cultural programs and community events which under Donna’s aegis had flourished in the Centennial Celebration, mushroomed further afield: Book clubs and lectures; the popular film showings at Victoria Hall; documentary films at the library building; “Tales and Travels” meetings for members with Alzheimer's; poetry creating; a special section reserved for the kids and teens - it goes on and on, as can be seen from the Events section of the library’s website.
Donna Lach greatly appreciates the free flow of ideas and the capacity for change under Julie-Anne Cardella.
“If I come up with a special program at the last minute because someone brilliant is available, Julie-Anne gives me the green flag to do everything possible to make it happen.”
Equally appreciated is the freedom to test out new programs, without any "blame or shame" if it turns out to be a dud.
The flourishing of the cultural programming and community events at the Westmount Public Library is not by accident. The off-the-wall, permissive 'idea flow' environment, makes the Westmount Library the first choice for top quality graduates with a Masters in Library Science.
The diversity of their undergraduate backgrounds – in history, literature, and music creates the potential for a wide range of ideas. All to the benefit of the library!
In 2009 Julie-Anne Cardella was hired to be the Director. She had what the leaders of Westmount knew the library needed for growth: A capacity for inspired leadership. And a capacity for change, especially technological change.
Before the hiring committee, Julie-Anne Cardella didn’t mince words.
“I am all about change. If you don't want change don't hire me.”
They hired her!
Cardella tells a delightful anecdote. In the middle of her PowerPoint presentation, the power went off. Without a moment’s hesitation, a tall, distinguished gentleman immediately crouched down on his knees, and ducked under the table to check out the wires connecting the laptop to the electrical outlet, recounts Cardella with an impish twinkle in her eyes.
“At that point, I knew I would like to work for this organization!”
Julie-Anne Cardella has left her physical imprint on the Library: a redesign to the library which greatly expanded the quality of life within the library and of its members. Cardella, an inveterate traveller and explorer of libraries around the world, brought an idea back with her from a visit to a library in Finland.
The results? In addition to the seemingly impossible job of moving the multitude of stacks for the laying of new carpeting, is the opening up of two existing areas allowing the light to stream in and creating two enormous reading rooms for the members - the equal of the lobbies of 5-star hotels!
A Continuity
The remarkable Tradition of Service has pulsed unshakably for 119 years through the Westmount Public Library.
The Library is now in the process of expanding its vision for the future to encompass the technological and cultural needs of a society which today includes (as part-time Librarian Daniel Miguez de Luca said) “Everyone! I am interested in exploring how we can better help our members cope with a library more and more digitalized.”
In all this explosion of creativity, that Tradition of Service pulses through the city government of Westmount, to support, not only the creative activities of the Westmount Public Library, but the needs of the residents of Westmount themselves.
Stop and talk to construction workers on the street and you will learn they are laying down temporary water pipes so that the residents shouldn’t be deprived of water while the main pipes are dug up and replaced!
One elderly resident summed it all up.
"Here in Westmount, I feel safe. I feel taken care of.”
She could have been describing the feeling of the members of the Westmount Public Library!
Reaching the Westmount Public Library!
For staying up to date with their event visit their Website or Facebook page.
And to see more pictures, you can visit their Instagram or Flickr accounts!
