The West Perth Public Library in Mitchell, Ontario has long been a cornerstone of the community's historical and cultural heritage. Now a $700,000 retrofit project to make the building more accessible to people with disabilities means the library will become even more important to the area's residents. A ground-breaking ceremony, which took place on February 29, 2008, signaled the start of the project.

The West Perth Public Library has an interesting history. It is a Carnegie library.

The wealthiest man in the world at the end of the 19th century was American businessman Andrew Carnegie. He believed that wealthy people had a moral obligation to donate their money to causes that would help educate people. By doing so, people would have a higher quality of life. In turn, this would help them build stronger, more inclusive communities.

As a child in Scotland, books and libraries had been an important part of his upbringing. One of Carnegie's biggest initiatives was the creation of 2,509 public libraries around the world. Of the 125 libraries established in Canada, 111 were built in Ontario.

The West Perth Library Expansion and Accessibility Project is "helping ensure our rural libraries are more accessible for everyone," said John Wilkinson, MPP, Perth-Wellington at the February 29 ceremony. "Facilities such as our West Perth Library are the cornerstone of family life in rural communities."

In addition to the West Perth Public Library, three other public libraries are being renovated to make them more accessible to people with disabilities. They are:

• Nipigon Public Library
• West Lincoln Public Library (in Caistorville)
• Sault Ste Marie Public Library.

The Ontario Government is providing funding for these accessibility projects.