NEWS RELEASE
BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY PUBLIC LIBRARY
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Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library board members and staff presented to hundreds of attendees across the country during the Ontario Library Association’s Super Conference about breaking down barriers in delivering library services.
Board Chair Jennifer Harrison, Vice-Chair Councillor Jonathan Scott and CEO Matthew Corbett took attendees through the library’s three years of work, from inception to ongoing implementation, to advance an agenda of positive change based on the concept of equity.
“We want to ensure our library is equitable to everyone in BWG, that access was the top priority, that diverse people – in all forms of diversity – felt welcome and included,” said Harrison. “Our strategic plan highlighted equity as a central goal to guide the board's work this term. Our work is to ensure everyone feels able to participate as they wish in the library, this important community service for our town.”
"It was important to everyone on the board that equity and inclusion be the framework for all future plans for the library, and that our library centre itself on the concept of being community-led," said Chair Jennifer Harrison.
CEO Matthew Corbett outlined the process behind an equity and anti-racism audit and the operational changes that are already underway to make the library more equitable for people of diverse backgrounds.
“Our equity and anti-racism audits resulted in, among other recommendations, the creation of a Cultural Programming Manager position to create a department in the library that is fully focused on cultural development, initiatives and strategies going forward,” said Corbett. “With all the policy and operational changes we are undertaking, we are also implementing three big policy changes: removing late fines, removing programming fees and creating a Cultural Department.”
“Our work to make positive change at the library is seeing real results through a variety of initiatives. For instance, the elimination of late fines and programming fees are exciting changes, and deliver on an important goal of seeing the library as a public service that is universal regardless of someone's income,” said Councillor Jonathan Scott. “These changes were a core part of ensuring the library is accessible and a welcoming place for everyone.”
In addition to the presentation on equity, librarians Wendy Zwaal, Bailey Shaw, Sarah Petryhyn and Sasha Ioffine presented on creating all-age programs instead of traditional "partitioned programming". The result of such an approach is programs that are no longer 'siloed' or focusing on, for example, only one age group, and instead creates programs with multi-generational receptiveness in mind.
Nearly 500 attendees from across the country, including policymakers, academics, librarians, library board members and municipal councillors, tuned in virtually to hear the presentations as part of the conference.
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