The only public library in the Six Nations of the Grand River community has closed for a structural assessment ordered by Council.
The library in Ohsweken is a vital part of the community, but the building closed its doors to the public at 5:00 p.m. on February 13, 2026.
It is also one of the oldest and largest First Nations public libraries in the world. The closure was announced in a Facebook post from the library on February 13.
The post said the library’s CEO Feather Maracle and Board Chair David Lynch only learned about the motion to close the library the day before it was passed.
“I am very very sorry. I know what the Library means to the Community. This news is very fresh. I am working in the background on our next steps,” Maracle wrote in the Facebook post.
The motion required the library to be immediately closed so a structural assessment can be performed to ensure the long-term sustainability and safety of the library.
“It exists in a building that is owned by the Chief and Council of First Nations, and the building has been closed, and we are waiting for a structural assessment,” said Maracle. “As for the library we still are operating, there are many different aspects to a library besides just a physical structure.”
Maracle said a variety of e-resources are still available online through the library’s website.
As for the future of the building, Maracle said she’s hoping to get more information.
“We are waiting for the structural assessment. It would be the next steps, and we have a number of options that we are pursuing in terms of a potential re-location,” said Maracle. “It’s all hinging on the structural assessment, we are also involved in a feasibility study to build a new building.”
The library still plans to have its 60th celebration next month, but where it will be held still has to be determined.
