In late January, the District of Oak Bay announced their Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) branch had to be closed due to dust contaminated with asbestos being found within the building.
The rest of the Monterey Recreation Centre was found to be asbestos-free after rigorous testing.
Following the discovery, the Oak Bay Library Branch was shut down indefinitely until recently when the GVPL announced that they would be reopening that location between June 5th and 11th.
“A full abatement process has been completed to eliminate any possible future disturbances or asbestos exposure,” said a GVPL spokesperson in a media release.
“We thank our patrons for their understanding and patience during this transition period and look forward to welcoming the community back to the Oak Bay Branch.”
As for the temporary pop-up location that has occupied the Cedar Room of the Monterey Recreation Centre, its last day of operations will be on Sunday, May 28th. This staggered closing and ripening will allow for all the books and resources to be transferred back to their permanent homes in the library.
Anyone in need of in-person browsing or computers prior to the reopening will still be able to access the GVPL’s Central, sxʷeŋxʷəŋ təŋəxʷ James Bay and Nellie McClung branches, which are the nearest locations to the temporarily shuttered Oak Bay Branch.
The GVPL says that all holds will remain in place during this service interruption and there is a 24-hour, outdoor book return located at the Monterey Recreation Centre for bookworms to be able to return their books at their leisure.
 branch had to be closed due to dust contaminated with asbestos being found within the building. ){kind=link}