in March 1996 that the SI and the library were created. With regard to the SI, before we were bound by an agreement with the Office for Tourism Angles. Aware of our potential in terms of cultural and natural heritage, elected at the time (we're still 3 survivors) have estimated that we would certainly be best placed and most relevant to value this heritage.
When restoring these first premises we have decided to also create a space for a library.
Bet committed 14 years ago is successful. Indeed one hand the union initiative welcomes over 1000 visitors today 3 times the main population of Saint Benoist sur Mer and the other the Community of Communes Moutierrois country knowing that it could rely on a structure such as IF and local elected officials will open to tourism projects established in the early 2000s on our territory, a table orientation, an interpretive trail which is a loop of about 7 km a canoe base running in July and August and soon a wooden building to store boats.
As for the library: It identified 57 permanent and registered on the date of today, 22 entries of holidaymakers for approximately 1000 volumes including staffing of the Library Vendée département. You can borrow books, cartoons, documentaries.
In 2007 the City Council decided to build a technical workshop of 200 sqm freeing up the garage adjacent to the old IF. To answer a need for space and the prerogatives of the county library in the Vendée, we proceed with the restoration of the building which formerly housed the communal tractors and various equipment.
The work consisted entirely restore that space to create a dependency toilets and construct the patio. This space allows you to receive, among other groups at the end of discovery walks organized by the park Interregional du Marais Poitevin. This arrangement should be completed.
The cost of this operation was € 54 700 HT with the financing plan as follows:
- assistance under the Marais Poitevin county contract € 23,295 or the entire envelope.
- assistance under the Contract of the Marais Poitevin region, the rate is capped at 35% of net amount of work, the amount granted for this project is € 19 600. The balance of € 3,695 will be transferred to another program.
The combination of these two aid we can achieve a subsidy rate of 78%.
After this restoration of buildings, logically, the replacement of furniture has become especially furniture for the library. For the selection of materials we opted for the combination metal timber that integrates well with the architecture of the place. The cost of the interior amounted to 10 000 € HT helped 50% by the General Council.
Synergy in financial terms and effective as we wished to develop resulted in a home shared between the IS and the library and avoid partitioning of the two activities become complementary. This complementarity has been verified since taking office This new organization. For example, it is now possible to collect tourist information, books to borrow (loans are also available for guests), to read here in a space reserved for the purpose of periodic reviews and share a tea or Coffee with the hostess as we have planned a kitchen hidden behind a closet door.
City Council and myself are very proud of this achievement and many comments external endorse this sentiment. We are pleased to offer Benedictine, Benedictine and to all our visitors a place to share, a friendly place, a place to promote tourism, a place that aims to promote free culture through books and exhibitions. I will end with a quote from Kathleen Norris illustrates fairly well the comfort that a book can give us: "The thought that a good book waiting for you at the end of a long day makes that day happier ;.
