Heather Wright/The Independent

Dawn-Euphemia Mayor Al Broad is preparing to meet with Lambton Library officials to talk about the state of the Shetland Library.

Library officials have reviewed all 25 branches in the county and have found the tiny, historic Shetland library lacking.

The report to council says the branch is too small to meet the guidelines set for Lambton libraries including not enough room for the book collection, study space, programs, and place for a dedicated maker space. It also needs an additional computer workstation.

And then, there is the state of the building; the interior finishes “are worn and in need of replacement,” light fixtures are damaged. The report adds there is not room to make changes for accessiblity. And then there is the unwanted visitors.

“Despite pest control measures, preventing access to the building by rodents is a challenge, and the exterior of the building requires regular maintenance to eliminate insect debris and overgrown vegetation.”

Andrew Meyer, general manager of cultural services, says the county wants to discuss the “poor state of this library” and alternatives to meet the area’s needs. That could include closure of the branch, amalgamation with another or an expansion.

Broad says for generations, Euphemia residents have used the tiny building at the corner of Shetland Line and Florence Road. The township, he says, has not put any significant money into the building for a decade. An addition isn’t possible since there is no available land beside the building, Broad added.

But he says there is still a need for the space for residents of the hamlet.“We do have some internet problems there, and we’ve even seen people sitting out on the side of the road there, you know, grabbing some internet service from their vehicles,” he says.