Charlesbourg library to reopen after 10 months of renos
Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
editor@qctonline.com
The Paul-Aimé-Paiement Library in Charlesbourg will reopen on Aug. 10 after nearly a year of closure for extensive renovations, city officials announced at the end of July. The library closed in October 2024 for work including reconstruction of the foundation walls, restoration of brick walls, replacement and restoration of windows and rearrangement of the basement. The renovations cost the city a total of $9.2 million, city officials said in a statement.
The library will resume regular hours immediately after reopening: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. The book return chute, located near the main entrance, will be accessible at all times starting Aug. 4.
Work will continue on the site after the library reopens to the public, through fall of this year. Some services may be temporarily affected this fall, including access to the indoor restrooms and exhibition hall, as well as some parking spaces. Visitors can also expect occasional construction noise.
In other public library news, officials announced that the Étienne-Parent Library in Beauport would close on Aug. 11 for several months while workers replace its ventilation system. It is expected to reopen in March 2026. The Ville de Québec communications and citizen relations department said the renovations, with an estimated cost of $1.5 million, were essential to keeping the building operational. More extensive renovations, first announced in 2023, which would more than double the size of the library, are still under study as of this writing.
While the library is closed, city officials said measures will be put in place to ensure service continuity and minimize impacts on library users. A temporary collection point for returns and reservations will be put in place at the Centre Sportif Marc-Simoneau starting Aug. 18. The hours of the Chemin-Royal Library will also be extended starting Aug. 18, and the document chute will remain accessible at all times.
For more information on Quebec City libraries, visit your local library or the public library system’s website (bibliothequesdequebec.qc.ca).