Page 1 of 3 MIDDLESEX COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019 10:30 AM Middlesex County Building 399 Ridout Street North, London
AGENDA
Members: Jim Maudsley, Chair; Councillor Brad Richards, Vice Chair; Warden Kurtis Smith, and Citizen Appointees: Ruth Adams, Marigay Wilkins. Also present was Liz Adema, Interim Director of Library Services and Cindy Howard, General Manager of Finance and Community Services, Bill Rayburn, CAO, and Kathy Bunting, County Clerk.
A. CALL TO ORDER
1. Provision for disclosure of pecuniary interest.
2. Minutes of the Library Board Meeting held on January 15, 2019 A 2 - Library - February 12 - Library Board Minutes - January 15, 2019
Moved by ______
Seconded by ______
That the Minutes of the Middlesex County Library Board meeting held on January 15, 2019 be approved as presented
3. Visioning Topic – 2019 Technology Programming Lineup A 3 - Library Visioning - February 12 - Technology Programming Line Up Presentation by Mallory Austin, Library Technologies Specialist
B. ACTION ITEMS
1. Libraries on the Go Contract Renewal B 1 - Library Action - February 12 - Libraries on the Go Contract Renewal Report from Liz Adema, Interim Director of Library Services
Moved by ______
Seconded by ______
That the Library Board approves Middlesex County Library engaging in a RFP process with the fellow members of the Libraries on the Go consortium to determine the direction of the consortium for 2020 and onward. Page 2 of 3 C. CORRESPONDENCE AND INFORMATION ITEMS
1. System Circulation and System Internet Usage to January 2019 (with 2018 for comparison) C 1 - Library Info - February 12 - System Circulation and System Internet 2019-2018
2. Information Services Usage Statistics – January 2019 C 2 - Library Info - February 12 - Information Services Usage Statistics January 2019
3. Accounts Payable to February 1, 2019 totalling $103,876.00 C 3 - Library Info - February 12 - Payables 5 January - 1 February 2019
4. Newspaper articles concerning Middlesex County libraries C 4 - Library Info - February 12 - Newspaper Articles
5. Library Activity Report C 5 - Library Info - February 12 - Library Activity Report Report from Liz Adema, Interim Director Library Services
6. Employment and Government Information Services Activity Report – January 2019 C 6 - Library Info - February 12 - Employment and Government Activity January 2019 Report from Liz Adema, Interim Director Library Services
7. EarlyOn Let’s Play Together C 7 - Library Info - February 12 - EarlyON Let's Play Together Activity Centres Report from Liz Adema, Interim Director Library Services
8. Media Release – “Let’s Play Together” at your Middlesex County Library C 8 - Library Info - February 12 - Media ReleaseFamilyDayEarlyON Activity Centres
9. Letter from SOLS (Southern Ontario Library Service) congratulating and advising that Liz Adema has earned her Certificate in Public Library Leadership C 9 - Library Info - February 12 - SOLS Letter - Liz Adema - Certificate
10. SOLS Signal Newsletter dated January 2019 C 10 - Library Info - February 12 - SOLS Signal Newsletter - January 10 2019
11. SOLS Signal Newsletter dated February 2019 C 11 - Library Info - February 12 - SOLS Signal Newsletter -February 6 2019
12. Ontario Library Super Conference 2019 – Staff Reports C 12 - Library Info - February 12 - Ontario Library Super Conference 2019 Staff Reports Report from Liz Adema, Interim Director Library Services
Moved by ______
Seconded by ______
That Items C.1 – LIB through C.12 – LIB be received for information.
D. INQUIRIES Page 3 of 3 E. NEW BUSINESS
1. Next Meetings 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, March 26, 2019 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, April 23, 2019 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 28, 2019 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, June 25, 2019 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, July 16, 2019 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, August 13, 2019 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, September 24, 2016 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, October 22, 2019 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, November 26, 2019 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, December 17, 2019
F. ADJOURNMENT
Moved by ______
Seconded by ______
That the meeting adjourn at
Accessible formats and communication supports are available upon request. Please contact Kathy Bunting, County Clerk to make a request. [email protected] February 12, 2019 Page 1 of 4 A 2 - Library
FIRST REPORT
MIDDLESEX COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD TUESDAY, January 15, 2019 10:30 AM Council Chambers, Middlesex County Building
Members: Warden Kurtis Smith, Councillor Brad Richards, and Citizen Appointees: Ruth Adams, Jim Maudsley, and Marigay Wilkins. Also present was Liz Adema, Interim Director of Library Services; Cindy Howard, General Manager of Finance and Community Services; Bill Rayburn, CAO, and Kathy Bunting, County Clerk
In attendance was Councillor Vanderheyden, Councillor DeViet and Councillor Ropp. Also attending was Mallory Austin, Technology Specialist
A. CALL TO ORDER
The County Clerk called the meeting to order
1. Appointment of Chair, Vice Chair, and SOLS Representative
Appointment of Chair
Moved by Marigay Wilkins Seconded by Brad Richards That Jim Maudsley be appointed Chair of Library Board. Carried.
Chair Maudsley assumed the Chair position.
Appointment of Vice Chair
Moved by Marigay Wilkins Seconded by Warden Smith That Councillor Brad Richards be appointed Vice Chair of Library Board. Carried.
Appointment of SOLS representative
Moved by Warden Smith Seconded by Councillor Richards That Marigay Wilkins be appointed Southern Ontario Library Services representative for the Library Board. Carried.
February 12, 2019 Page 2 of 4 A 2 - Library
2. Provision for disclosure of pecuniary interest. None.
3. Minutes of the Library Board Meeting held on November 27, 2018
Moved by Marigay Wilkins Seconded by Warden Smith That the Minutes of the Middlesex County Library Board meeting held on November 27, 2018 be approved as presented Carried.
4. Visioning Topic – Orientation • Power point presentation by Liz Adema, Interim Director of Library Services. A copy is attached to the minutes.
5. Library Services Review • Power point presentation by Bill Rayburn, CAO. A copy is attached to the minutes
B. ACTION ITEMS
1. 2019 Budget • The 2019 draft budget was presented to the Library Board by Cindy Howard, General Manager of Finance and Community Services and Liz Adema, Interim Director of Library Services.
Moved by Councillor Richards Seconded by Marigay Wilkins That the draft 2019 Library Board budget as amended to include the remainder of the Ilderton and Strathroy EarlyOn Child and Family Centre provincial funding be included in the Library capital budget. Carried.
C. CORRESPONDENCE AND INFORMATION ITEMS
1. System Circulation and System Internet Usage to November 2018 (with 2017 for comparison)
2. System Circulation and System Internet Usage to December 2018 (with 2017 for comparison)
3. Information Services Usage Statistics – November 2018
4. Information Services Usage Statistics – December 2018
5. Accounts Payable to January 4, 2019 totalling $325,146.91 February 12, 2019 Page 3 of 4 A 2 - Library
6. Newspaper articles concerning Middlesex County libraries – November 2018
7. Newspaper articles concerning Middlesex County libraries – December 2018
8. County Librarian Update
9. Employment and Government Information Services Activity Report – November and December 2018 • Report from Liz Adema, Interim Director of Library Services
10. SOLS Signal Newsletter – December 5, 2018
Moved by Ruth Adams Seconded by Warden Smith That Items C.1 – LIB through C.10 – LIB be received for information. Carried.
D. INQUIRIES
E. NEW BUSINESS
1. Dates of Next Meetings: 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, February 12, 2019 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, March 26, 2019 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, April 23, 2019 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 28, 2019 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, June 25, 2019 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, July 16, 2019 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, August 13, 2019 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, September 24, 2016 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, October 22, 2019 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, November 26, 2019 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, December 17, 2019
February 12, 2019 Page 4 of 4 A 2 - Library
F. ADJOURNMENT
Moved by Ruth Adams Seconded by Councillor Brad Richards That the meeting adjourn at 11:55 p.m.
Mallory Austin, Technology Specialist, demonstrated for the Library Board some of the new technology available to the library branches.
______Kathleen Bunting, County Clerk Chair – Jim Maudsley Secretary – Library Board February 12, 2019 Page 1 of 23 A 3 - Library
2019 Technology Programming Lineup
FEBRUARY 12, 2019
MALLORY AUSTIN, HBA, PGC, MLIS
LIBRARY TECHNOLOGIES SPECIALIST February 12, 2019 Page 2 of 23 A 3 - Library System-Wide Portable Tech
• Bookable kits travel to all 15 branches, giving staff a chance to offer fun and innovative technology programming, regardless of time or space constraints. • This will be the third year we have run this successful program. We have overhauled and streamlined the booking schedule for 2019. • Middlesex County Library has been recognized as industry leaders in our area for Portable Tech. For two years in a row, we have been invited to teach on this topic at the Administrators of Rural and Urban Public Libraries of Ontario (ARUPLO) annual training intensive. February 12, 2019 Page 3 of 23 A 3 - Library **NEW!** Cricut Explore Air 2 + iPad Kit (2)
Make amazing cards, decals and more with this user-friendly desktop craft-cutting machine! Awesome for scrapbooking and other creative applications. February 12, 2019 Page 4 of 23 A 3 - Library **NEW!** Epson Rapid Photo Scanner (1)
Scan hundreds of photos in minutes with the world’s fasted personal photo scanner. Patrons can save their photo files to a USB drive or upload them to the Cloud. February 12, 2019 Page 5 of 23 A 3 - Library LittleBits Kit (1)
Modular electronics that snap together and take the frustration out of circuit building. These are compatible with Lego and include modules that empower kids to invent something awesome. Kids can experiment with music, cloud computing and programming with Arduino.
This is the third year in which we will offer this popular kit, which was booked up all of last year. February 12, 2019 Page 6 of 23 A 3 - Library Star Wars Droid + iPad (1)
Kids can create their own Droid and bring it to life with block-based coding by following interactive tutorials on an iPad.
The Droids launched in March 2018 and had attended programs in 10 branches by the end of December. They continue to be in high demand going into 2019! February 12, 2019 Page 7 of 23 A 3 - Library Tecre Button Maker (2)
These durable machines have been a popular staple with staff and patrons for several years.
In 2018, we added a permanent button maker to the Glencoe Comprehensive Library and expanded our lineup of portable button makers. February 12, 2019 Page 8 of 23 A 3 - Library Virtual Reality Kit (1)
This kit comes equipped with five patron devices and one facilitator device. While connected to a Local Area Network with the included modem, staff can guide patrons on a series of incredible virtual reality scenes using the Google Expeditions app.
This kit has been wildly popular with children and adults alike! February 12, 2019 Page 9 of 23 A 3 - Library M3D Micro 3D Printer (1)
These low-cost, user-friendly 3D printers are portable and small enough to fit on most circulation desks without getting in the way. They enable patrons to understand the process of 3D design and additive manufacturing, both of which are emerging technologies with endless applications.
Due to their system-wide success in 2018, we have decided to invest in ten more of these printers, which will have permanent homes in many of our branches. February 12, 2019 Page 10 of 23 A 3 - Library Dedicated Makerspace Technologies
• Dedicated makerspace technologies are located permanently in the branches.
• We have two permanent makerspaces in our system – One in Dorchester Library (2017) and one in Glencoe Library (2018). February 12, 2019 Page 11 of 23 A 3 - Library Windows Super Computers
Located in Dorchester (2) and in Glencoe (1)
This powerful HP Desktop computer has an upgraded video card and a high-end 24” monitor that is perfect for creative projects. It comes loaded with the Adobe Creative Suite and several 3D design apps. February 12, 2019 Page 12 of 23 A 3 - Library iMac Super Computer
Located in Glencoe (1)
This 27” iMac workstation has a retina 5K display and is loaded with the Adobe Creative Suite and several 3D design apps. February 12, 2019 Page 13 of 23 A 3 - Library iPad Pro with Apple Pencil
Located in Dorchester (2)
These 12.9” iPads have 4GB of RAM and true-colour displays.
Patrons can check out an Apple Pencil for 3 hours with their library card and use it with these high-end iPads. February 12, 2019 Page 14 of 23 A 3 - Library Roland GS-24 Vinyl Cutter
Located in Dorchester (1)
This large format vinyl cutter uses vector images to cut a variety of materials with detail and precision. It can create a variety of things including large wall decorations and car decals! February 12, 2019 Page 15 of 23 A 3 - Library Canon ImagePROGRAF iPF610 Large Format Printer
Located in Glencoe (1)
This printer can create full-colour posters up to 24” wide. It is also great for printing blueprints and line drawings. February 12, 2019 Page 16 of 23 A 3 - Library Roxio DVD-VHS Software
Located in Lucan (1) and Glencoe (1)
Easily digitize your old VHS tapes and save them to a DVD, USB or the cloud. The software also includes tools to clean up and enhance old video! February 12, 2019 Page 17 of 23 A 3 - Library
Ultimaker 2+ 3D Printer
Located in Dorchester (1) and Glencoe (1)
This open-source 3D printer is reliable, efficient and user-friendly. It supports a wide variety of filaments and can render quality prototypes and custom tools. February 12, 2019 Page 18 of 23 A 3 - Library Makerspace
Cricut Explore Air 2 Located in Glencoe (1) *As described in Epson Rapid Photo Scanner the System Located in Dorchester (1) and Glencoe (1) Wide Portable Tech section! * February 12, 2019 Page 19 of 23 A 3 - Library Kids’ Literacy Tech
• iPads in secure, branded enclosures installed permanently in the branches.
• Managed and supported remotely by the Library Technologies Specialist through Meraki Systems Manager software. February 12, 2019 Page 20 of 23 A 3 - Library Early Literacy Stations
Located in Ailsa Craig (2) Delaware (2) Dorchester (2) Glencoe (2) Komoka (2) Lucan (2) Mt. Brydges (2) Newbury (1) Parkhill (2) Strathroy (4) and Wardsville (1)
These iPads have a custom lineup of high-quality and ad free literacy apps for young children and early readers. Apps are added periodically to keep the devices refreshed.
We plan to install them in all remaining branches in 2019. February 12, 2019 Page 21 of 23 A 3 - Library Middle Literacy Station
Located in Glencoe (1)
This iPad is similar to the Early Literacy Station, but the apps are geared towards older children and intermediate readers. February 12, 2019 Page 22 of 23 A 3 - Library Goals for Technology Programming in 2019
• Improve qualitative and quantitative evaluation data gathering methods to better examine program success • Deploy micro 3D printers to nine branches • Implement iPad literacy stations in all remaining branches • Transition to a device-level enrolment strategy for the library’s growing fleet of 50+ iOS devices • Continue to support technology and training in both permanent makerspaces • Continue to monitor trends and support system-wide technological innovation! February 12, 2019 Page 23 of 23 A 3 - Library
Thank you!
Any questions? February 12, 2019 Page 1 of 2 B 1 - Library Action
Library Board
Meeting Date: February 12, 2019 Submitted by: Liz Adema, Interim Director of Library Services SUBJECT: LIBRARIES ON THE GO CONTRACT RENEWAL
BACKGROUND: The Libraries on the Go consortium began in 2009 as a joint effort of participating libraries (Barrie, Innisfil, Oakville, Milton, and Middlesex County) and the Southern Ontario Library Service (SOLS) to offer downloadable digital media from OverDrive, Inc to patrons of the participating libraries. In 2017 SOLS exited the agreement as the administrator for the consortium and the participating members accepted all administration tasks. By pooling resources, each library benefits from sharing operating costs of the system and the through a shared collection of eBooks and eAudiobooks. The members signed a 2017-2019 agreement with OverDrive in December of 2016.
ANALYSIS: In 2019 the contract with OverDrive for 2020 and onward must be renegotiated. In 2016 the consortium voted to renew the contract with OverDrive for another three years as newer vendors in the digital market could not provide key services for our patrons. All of the partner libraries face unreliable internet access for their patrons and a key feature required by the libraries was the ability to read and listen to downloaded digital titles without internet access. As the eBook and eAudiobook market has grown significantly in recent years the consortium has indicated an interest in a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the shared collection to review all options with the input from members. This process will also include an evaluation of the current consortium and the duties assigned to member libraries. February 12, 2019 Page 2 of 2 B 1 - Library Action
The Libraries on the Go collection is a valuable resource for Middlesex County Library’s patrons. Circulation increased to 60,532 checkouts in 2018 from 50,764 checkouts in 2016. This increase in use is predicted to continue in 2019 with 6,098 checkouts in January compared to 5,061 checkouts in January of 2018. This increase continues even after the addition of the Hoopla collection for our patrons and the two collections provide seamless access to digital content across both platforms for patrons. RECOMMENDATION: That the Library Board approves Middlesex County Library engaging in a RFP process with the fellow members of the Libraries on the Go consortium to determine the direction of the consortium for 2020 and onward.
February 12, 2019 Page 1 of 4 C 1 - Library Info
SYSTEM INTERNET 2019 Branch Hours Open Weekly Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Total Ailsa Craig (4 public) 27 475 475 Coldstream (2 public) 12 115 115 Delaware (2 public) 8 28 28 Dorchester (11 public) 49 2282 2282 Glencoe (14 public) 30 1291 1291 Ilderton (4 public) 27 287 287 Komoka (9 public) 40 2398 2398 Lucan (12 public) 40 932 932 Melbourne (2 public) 8 132 132 Mount Brydges (6 public) 27 525 525 Newbury (2 public) 8 79 79 Parkhill (13 public) 40 1758 1758 Strathroy (21 public) 58.5 5634 5634 Thorndale (4 public) 30 758 758 Wardsville (2 public) 8 112 112 Total 412.5 16806 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16806 February 12, 2019 Page 2 of 4 C 1 - Library Info
SYSTEM INTERNET 2018 Branch Hours Open Weekly Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Total Ailsa Craig (4 public) 27 641 504 650 587 693 515 471 31 507 530 437 390 5956 Coldstream (2 public) 12 76 95 130 96 102 117 130 152 103 134 117 120 1372 Delaware (2 public) 8 37 52 62 57 125 121 130 111 68 84 72 42 961 Dorchester (11 public) 49 2284 2142 2374 2318 2208 2614 2576 2625 2638 2603 2216 2115 28713 Glencoe (14 public) 30 880 739 859 810 809 787 833 955 906 916 1248 843 10585 Ilderton (4 public) 27 257 195 227 215 274 318 241 326 269 273 202 262 3059 Komoka (9 public) 40 2355 2985 2676 2314 2065 1972 1494 1904 1257 2387 2433 1978 25820 Lucan (12 public) 40 1138 971 1110 1123 924 1042 2151 1933 1145 1272 968 771 14548 Melbourne (2 public) 8 136 110 120 97 77 100 122 136 114 145 112 104 1373 Mount Brydges (6 public) 27 476 436 678 611 604 793 775 663 592 671 692 441 7432 Newbury (2 public) 8 55 54 61 83 88 80 91 77 64 76 70 63 862 Parkhill (13 public) 40 1350 1490 1662 1590 1883 1815 2745 3045 1656 1955 1668 1349 22208 Strathroy (21 public) 58.5 6088 5196 6614 6014 5610 5375 6216 6888 5728 5904 5781 4707 70121 Thorndale (4 public) 30 515 468 697 523 719 601 878 1220 531 541 540 447 7680 Wardsville (2 public) 8 115 101 133 139 147 124 137 134 127 123 114 100 1494 Total 412.5 16403 15538 18053 16577 16328 16374 18990 20200 15705 17614 16670 13732 202184 * Ailsa Craig closed in August for renovations * Glencoe closed October 6th - 22nd for move February 12, 2019 Page 3 of 4 C 1 - Library Info
SYSTEM CIRCULATION 2019 Branch Hours Open Weekly Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Total Ailsa Craig 27 903 903 Coldstream 12 832 832 Delaware 8 132 132 Dorchester 49 2062 2062 Glencoe 30 2365 2365 Ilderton 27 1141 1141 Komoka 40 2193 2193 Lucan 40 2300 2300 Melbourne 8 141 141 Mount Brydges 27 1049 1049 Newbury 8 200 200 Parkhill 40 1549 1549 Strathroy 58.5 6994 6994 Thorndale 30 1139 1139 Wardsville 8 195 195 Library Office NA 209 209 Renewals Offsite 1682 1682 Books by Mail / Talking Books NA 77 77 Libraries-on-the-Go (Overdrive) NA 6098 6098 Hoopla 1006 1006 Freegal music downloads NA 461 461 RB Digital e-Magazines (Zinio) NA 572 572 PressReader e-Magazines, e-Newspapers NA 1507 1507 Total 412.5 34807 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 34807 February 12, 2019 Page 4 of 4 C 1 - Library Info
SYSTEM CIRCULATION 2018 Branch Hours Open Weekly Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Total Ailsa Craig 27 943 849 880 807 790 781 1024 4 780 886 777 631 9152 Coldstream 12 493 546 580 563 586 602 1055 1012 738 800 642 633 8250 Delaware 8 158 171 168 119 128 187 276 229 281 238 163 186 2304 Dorchester 49 1985 1920 2395 2112 1931 2050 3206 2834 1846 1999 1972 1570 25820 Glencoe 30 1714 1493 1801 1637 1754 1893 2298 2224 1557 1803 2599 2024 22797 Ilderton 27 1115 1022 1151 1124 1167 1160 1713 1757 1203 1145 1211 880 14648 Komoka 40 2169 2083 2528 2120 2077 1876 3565 3053 2087 2290 2109 1676 27633 Lucan 40 2265 2274 2664 2310 2167 2303 3858 3134 2028 2009 2026 1736 28774 Melbourne 8 90 122 154 131 94 111 225 189 117 180 184 187 1784 Mount Brydges 27 742 706 997 871 868 885 1502 1288 954 1051 1099 832 11795 Newbury 8 102 117 161 187 158 175 199 169 115 152 236 200 1971 Parkhill 40 1239 1429 1453 1267 1308 1602 2250 2369 1499 1458 1454 1314 18642 Strathroy 58.5 7720 7055 8563 7096 6944 6827 10377 10165 7149 7289 6812 5930 91927 Thorndale 30 892 969 1030 730 872 1102 1543 1432 841 990 1110 944 12455 Wardsville 8 214 161 138 130 156 163 311 203 211 269 191 140 2287 Library Office NA 120 78 136 128 148 99 210 93 117 126 151 144 1550 Renewals Offsite 1588 1658 1863 1625 1568 1653 1885 1772 1626 1650 1583 1735 20206 Books by Mail / Talking Books NA 89 100 87 41 83 64 76 113 90 125 70 73 1011 Libraries-on-the-Go (Overdrive) NA 5061 4517 5205 5151 4751 4855 5323 5479 4973 5104 4859 5254 60532 Hoopla 940 967 968 979 1005 1009 1012 1015 960 999 998 989 11841 Freegal music downloads NA 671 538 530 533 513 406 441 373 837 447 392 491 6172 RB Digital e-Magazines (Zinio) NA 332 215 272 278 181 263 159 302 226 438 488 397 3551 PressReader e-Magazines, e-Newspapers NA 379 662 767 897 1164 1288 1549 1340 1175 1440 1336 1419 13416 Total 412.5 31021 29652 34491 30836 30413 31354 44057 40549 31410 32888 32462 29385 398518 * Ailsa Craig closed in August for renovations * Glencoe closed October 6th - 22nd for move February 12, 2019 Page 1 of 2 C 2 - Library Info
Reference Questions 2019 Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Total Strathroy Requests 10 10 Referred From Branches 2 2 Librarian E-mail 2 2
Online Resources - Number of Searches/Sessions/Logins Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Total EBSCO 1608 1608 Gale 448 448 myBluePrint 6 6 Teen Health and Wellness 1 1 Ancestry 1535 1535 Mango 32 32 World Book Encyclopedia 0 0 Consumer Reports 190 190 Gale Courses 29 29 Canadian Red Book 1 1 Gale Small Business Builder 11 11 February 12, 2019 Page 2 of 2 C 2 - Library Info
Reference Questions 2018 Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Total Strathroy Requests 5 4 9 4 4 11 8 7 7 4 5 3 71 Referred From Branches 3 2 4 2 3 4 4 3 2 1 3 2 33 Librarian E-mail 3 4 7 5 3 5 7 5 3 2 4 2 50
Online Resources - Number of Searches/Sessions/Logins Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Total EBSCO 4730 4462 5573 4944 2252 2091 2296 2998 2501 3743 3034 1607 40231 Gale 127 191 3015 353 146 198 85 456 16 558 70 25 5240 myBluePrint 41 118 26 4 20 12 15 12 19 18 3 0 288 Teen Health and Wellness 1 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 Ancestry 1000 1768 586 796 1221 222 800 758 809 877 1529 508 10874 Mango 98 56 107 108 84 73 33 19 42 72 47 19 758 World Book Encyclopedia 0 4 9 5 18 0 2 0 0 0 51 14 103 Consumer Reports 174 72 108 135 218 131 73 n/a 80 155 331 250 1727 Gale Courses 49 67 41 63 40 37 32 17 23 35 29 24 457 Canadian Red Book 2 0 4 9 2 0 6 4 4 5 0 0 36 Gale Small Business Builder 34 105 29 134 5 3 4 0 0 0 0 0 314 February 12, 2019 Page 1 of 3 C 3 - Library Info
Library Payables 5 January - 1 February 2019
Cheque Number Vendor Name Invoice Description Amount 124749 Andrew Ferrari Expense Claim $172.96 124766 Brodart Co. Office Supplies $84.73 124777 Christopher Harrington Expense Claim $512.29 124802 Erin Moxam Expense Claim $28.65 124811 Execulink Telecom Internet Costs $343.90 124811 Execulink Telecom Internet Costs $364.23 124842 Jamie McLellan Expense Claim $89.30 124843 Janice Moniz Expense Claim $107.75 124846 Karen Donaldson Expense Claim $34.31 124853 Kathryn Suffoletta Expense Claim $174.24 124854 Liz Adema Expense Claim $4,197.14 124857 Laura Garner Expense Claim $79.04 124860 Library Services Centre Books $39.24 124860 Library Services Centre Books $28.82 124866 Leslie Anne Steeper Doxtator Expense Claim $194.58 124866 Leslie Anne Steeper Doxtator Expense Claim $148.26 124868 Laurel Van Dommelen Expense Claim $51.70 124869 Lynn Watson Expense Claim $93.99 124884 Nadia Velastegui Expense Claim $11.35 124890 Mr. Paul Morrison Periodicals $55.00 124893 Pam Przysiezny Expense Claim $56.97 124899 Ricoh Canada Inc. Computer Software $106.16 124899 Ricoh Canada Inc. Copy Usage $94.26 124906 Shred-It International ULC Office Supplies $71.10 124907 Stephanie Hutchinson Expense Claim $32.90 124915 Staples Advantage Office Supplies $171.03 124928 TekSavvy Solutions Inc. Internet Costs $127.01 124943 Vanessa Gay Expense Claim $14.01 124947 Vanessa Weideman Expense Claim $30.57 124947 Vanessa Weideman Expense Claim $65.54 124948 Vanessa Rapagna Expense Claim $12.69 124953 Western I.T. Group Internet Costs $79.10 124955 Whitehots Inc. Books $46.85 124955 Whitehots Inc. Books $380.18 124955 Whitehots Inc. Books $32.12 124955 Whitehots Inc. Books Books $420.80 124955 Whitehots Inc. Books Books $339.32 124955 Whitehots Inc. Books Books $339.32 124956 Wilson Brock Book Delivery Company Postage $1,125.00 124971 Amanda Rintjema Expense Claim $54.52 124991 Carr McLean Office Supplies $96.57
Library February 12, 2019 Page 2 of 3 C 3 - Library Info
Library Payables 5 January - 1 February 2019
Cheque Number Vendor Name Invoice Description Amount 125000 Cassandra Petersen Expense Claim $28.39 125004 CVS Midwest Tape LLC Audiobooks $123.64 125004 CVS Midwest Tape LLC DVDs $178.66 125004 CVS Midwest Tape LLC DVDs $1,254.20 125004 CVS Midwest Tape LLC Audiobooks $28.22 125004 CVS Midwest Tape LLC DVDs $184.59 125004 CVS Midwest Tape LLC DVDs $14.00 125008 Eastlink Internet Costs $106.17 125016 Execulink Telecom Internet Costs $183.49 125027 Integrated Digital Solutions Computer Software $110.74 125027 Integrated Digital Solutions Computer Software $646.36 125027 Integrated Digital Solutions Computer Software $110.74 125030 Jean Barber Expense Claim $11.28 125032 JENNIFER DEBRUYNE Expense Claim $31.31 125042 Kathy Campeau Expense Claim $129.61 125053 Library Services Centre Books $12,366.41 125053 Library Services Centre Paperbacks $105.25 125053 Library Services Centre Books $13,655.85 125053 Library Services Centre Paperbacks $594.18 125053 Library Services Centre Books $3,849.05 125053 Library Services Centre Books $4,366.95 125053 Library Services Centre Paperbacks $266.86 125053 Library Services Centre Books $205.37 125062 Leanne Robinson Expense Claim $95.48 125094 Rosen Publishing Data Subscription $565.25 125099 Schoolhouse Products Inc. Branch Development $1,805.74 125100 Scotiabank Cengage #65772933 $3,296.34 125100 Scotiabank Cengage #65772934 $6,700.85 125137 Whitehots Inc. Books $1,176.67 125156 Administrators of Rural and Urban Public Lib Memberships $475.00 125173 Christopher Harrington Expense Claim $525.33 125183 CVS Midwest Tape LLC DVDs $1,261.06 125183 CVS Midwest Tape LLC DVDs $434.94 125184 D&D McPherson Branch Development $481.66 125188 Doublethink Inc. Data Subscriptions $904.00 125191 EBSCO Canada Ltd. Periodicals $284.70 125219 Liz Adema Expense Claim $586.65 125223 Library Services Centre Books $5,518.31 125234 Mallory Austin Expense Claim $202.48 125243 Office Central Office Supplies $485.99 125267 Southern Ontario Library Service Data Subscriptions $29,579.39
Library February 12, 2019 Page 3 of 3 C 3 - Library Info
Library Payables 5 January - 1 February 2019
Cheque Number Vendor Name Invoice Description Amount 125271 Staples Advantage Office Supplies $267.75 125298 Whitehots Inc. Books $169.59
$103,876.00
Library February 12, 2019 Page 1 of 17 C 4 - Library Info PAGE FO URTEEN LAMBTON · MIDDLESEX· STANDARD JANUARY to. 2019 Capital expenses kick off SWM budget deliberations
kv Marie Williams-Gagnon. of an emergency. Ford Fl50 pickup truck at $2 I .349 lo be funded per with $50.000 to be Wilkins asked about side Hayter Publications C hief Bob Hansen a cost of $25.750. Recrc thmugh the OCTF Formula funded through reserves walks for the south side of stated tbat this would assist at1on and facilities manag~1· ruu 1 at the 1ebsite period :port is 019 to proval. nathon phone ·egular a community governed health centre itchment area. The Centre operates · Point, Watford, and Sarnia. Our ians, nurse practitioners, registered - and physiotherapists. Middlesex County Library Parkhill Branch featured a pilot program called 'Let's Get Cookin', which started January 11th and goes for seven weeks, geared to chil ,t dren in grade five and up. Strathroy and Glencoe library branches are also partic ipating in the pilot program said Branch Supervisor Doug Warnock. This is the hours/week first time a program is being run outside of the library's regular hours and if deemed successful will be implemented across the county. The program is being ,.m. Watford organized with library staff and the Middlesex-London Health Unit and promotes p.m. Kettle Point basic cooking skills along with healthy living and eating. Here are the ten partic ipants taking the course and the library staff teaching it. ,.m. Kettle Point Photo by Barb Shea, Hayter Publications 1.m. Kettle Point 1tion with clients and visitors, :lerical duties. Children around the region th care facility. dealing with the public. enjoy library story times ptions. 3rience with electronic records. Several libraries across am in Grand Bend and Photo by Barb Shea, Model of Care is an asset. the region offer a pre every other Tuesday at Hayter Publications in will be required to work at all sites. school storytime for chil 10:30 am Thedford. pay in lieu of benefits and the dren and their caregivers. At Middlesex County Li brary Ailsa Craig Branch me and cover letter, this happens on Fridays at 10: 15 am. The program involves a story time, a movement time and a craft time lasting about 45 minutes. Here Ailsa Craig Branch Assistant Barb • North Lambton Van Deuren reads a book ~ Community to a few eager beavers who wanted to sit very • Health Centre close and several more who like to hang back. In Park.hill Storytime takes ~ to fostering an inclusive, -:p:!Jlee:5 and clients feel valued, place on Fridays at l J am, ~ a worldorce that reflects the Glencoe on Fridays at : sen-e and where every team 10:30 am, in Forest on ~ While we thank ell r ar: .ir8Niew will be contacted. Wednesdays at 10:30 am, YlV"'JOOatiOn be required. Alvinston on Thursdays • 23, 2019 at 10:30 am, Fridays at l l February 12, 2019 Page 3 of 17 C 4 - Library Info PAGE EIGHTEEN LAMBTON · MIDDLESEX· STANDARD JANUARY 17, 2019 Middlesex CAO addresses new SWM council by Marie Williams-Ga&non. bution, property deci each of these service areas lights are warranted. He ices are offered. "To date agricultural property taxa Hayter Publications Inc. sions. ambulance funding and, at the same time, they described evidence which we haven't paid a cent be tion ratio. Rayburn stated and the 2019 budget. said they'd like to look at has shown that it's not ef cause they haven't put any that only the County has Middlesex County Rayburn desc1ibed the how comprehens1ve li fective. Mayor Allan fiber in the ground which the ability to change tax CAO Bill Rayburn stood County's role with Strath braries can compete from Mayhew explained that he is frustrating for County ratios for all of the differ at the podium in the mere Lodge which is a a capital perspective, at has spoken with Rayburn council. Explaining that ent classes. McGill sug Southwest Middlesex Class A 156-bed facility everything from soup to at the County level and, he has spoken to MPP gested a review of the council chambers on Jan that is about a decade old. nuts like how the books "It's on my agenda to pur Monte McNaughton, he multi-residential tax ratio. uary 9, providing a roles He explained that the are distributed, from how sue that." Mayhew stated said he would prefer a "The change in funding is and responsibilities orien challenge with the service library head office works that he would like a site Made in Middlesex solu very hard on municipali tation session for the new is that it's geographically to internal staffing to how meeting and an opportu tion working with existing ties with a large number council. located in one area of the we even let third party or nity to review statistics providers. of agiicultural properties." Referencing a report he County and, since the ganizations utilize the and compare numbers. Describing Ontario Councillor Doug Bartlett presented to the previous Province changed its service." Cowell requested infor Municipal Partnership pointed out that it would council m October of rules. only 60 per cent of He added, "If we're mation about the County Funding, which is under be difficult for the County 2018, Rayburn outlined its residents come from spending money to have a broadband system. Ray review, Rayburn ex to change the tax ratio. ''lt some quick facts: the total within the County bound specialized children ·s pro burn described the West plained that the Fund was would be tough since budget for the County is aries. ''It's the most regu gram person, is there a ern Ontario Warden's put in place in 1998 to re some areas are more in $100-million, there are 36 lated service and it's not more efficient way to do Caucus' decision to place the 75 per cent mu dustry based. Vink different service areas and necessarily only benefit that? Whenever we set up launch a broadband initia nicipalities lost through stressed that the reality is 700 total employees. ing our residents. It's a a comprehensive Ji brary, tive, the SWIFT project. Farm Tax Rebates. Since that fan11 tax.es have gone Outlining the types of tough service but one we have found that the job He explained that they did then it has been cut back up due to assessment. services offered, he noted we 're mandated by law to is only 30 per cent of what not work to enhance exist significantly ''to the point Rayburn agreed that the that some local services provide.'' old job is and 70 per cent ing networks but to build where it's almost non-ex assessments on farm prop are delivered on a fee for Councillor Martin Vink of something completely their own, receiving fed istant." He explained that e1ty are growing very service basis such as legal briefly described cone new.'' eral and provincial fund they're hoping to put the quickly. outpacing most and IT. Regional services spondence he had ex Councillor Christa ing. Middlesex issue before the Warden's other areas of the provided to lower-tier mu changed with Rayburn Cowell asked if there established a contract and Caucus meeting for a re Province. nicipalities include local regarding the hiring of a were training opportuni identified underserviced gional approach. and county planning. new supervisor for the ties made available for areas and businesses but Council]or Mark Consolidated Municipal Glencoe Comprehensive current local staff. Ray refused to pay until serv- McGill confirmed the Service Manager Library. "If municipal burn responded that the (CMSM) services include council was to have been County does not pay for social housing and On made aware of this years people to take profes W"EEKLY CROSSWORD ANSWERS tario Works with reporting ago, word didn't filter sional librarian courses. completed by the City of down." Rayburn stated Recognizing the efforts SOLUTIONS 30.Snack 59.Alfa 8.Parsec 40. Menthol London with which the that, some time ago, the try ACROSS 31. Operand 60. Oto 9. Uncork 41. Society of the past council in I. Toft 32.Tyr 61. Yeddo 10. Snare 42.Cry County has a delivery County started the com ing to have the flashing 5. Mas 33. Metal 62. Boys I I .Haft 43.Ramus agreement. The Municipal prehensive library route in lights replaced in Appin, 8. Push 34. Reade 63. Lys 13 Seneealese 44.Pacify Corporation Board reports order to provide services Mel boume and 12. Okays 39.EMS 64. Neap 11:seveu 45.Arenas to County council, deliv 14.ANC 42. Cryptic 24. EDD 47. Paulo in each of its geographic Wardsville, councillor JS.Anna 44. Paseo SOLUTIONS 25. Harry Caray 48. Helos ering land ambulance areas following the clo Mike Sholdice asked how 16.Mantes 46. Raciest DOWN 26. Mom 49. Drab services with a budget of sure of the Gain Centre in the new council can effec 18. Jar 47. Parenchyma I.Tomb 27.Ape 52. Aden $35-million. 19.RCAF 49. Dace 2.Okay 28. Net 53. Nide Strathroy. tively lobby to have these 20. Bygone 50. Tie 3. Fang 29. Ara 54. USDA Emerging issues he "In 2012, the Library lights replaced. Rayburn 21. Ola 51. Uranus 4. Tyro 35. Epi 55. Stop listed include orientation, Board said we would like responded that County 22.Sorr 56. Ruin 5. Major 36. Are broadband, taxation distri- 23. Everywhere 57. HeJ 6. Analyst 37. Dis a professional librarian in council did not feel the 26. Managed 58. Sadist 7. Scrawny 38. ECT February 12, 2019 Page 4 of 17 C 4 - Library Info Minister of Infrastructure MPP Monte McNaughton was in Glencoe on Friday to make a funding announcement. Some Southwest Middlesex council members were on hand as well including I. to r. councillors Mike Sholdice, Mark McGill, Christa Cowell, McNaughton, mayor Allan Mayhew and councillors Ian Carruthers and Doug Bartlett. Story on age 10 NM looking to install generators in community centres for cooling/warming centres By Barb Shea, cided to close the offices. needs to be parameters set out for staff to pened before generators and the new pol Hayter Publications Inc, After this event counc il wanted to put follow as well as consistent messaging to icy is in place. some kind of policy in place in case a sim the general public regarding what services Davidson replied that was a concern of William Davidson, Director of Emer ilar emergency occurs again. Deputy can be expected in these non-emergency his too, but he discussed the issue with gency & Safety Services for North Middle Mayor Adrian Cornelissen asked for a re situations," said Davidson. Community Emergency Management Co sex came to council on Wednesday, port In De<.:ember, to be ready at this meet The plan looks to designate the North ordinator (CEMC) Bettina Weber from the January 16th with a report for an Inclement ing. At this point, there are no generators Middlesex Community Centre in Parkhill County of Middlesex for input. He said, Weather Policy for approval by council for at either of the community centres in and the Ailsa Craig Recreation Centre as "We do have somewhat of a verbal com staff to move forward with. The policy Parkhill or Ailsa Craig. warming and cooling centres during these mitment with the County that when possi would outline what staff would be required Davidson explained to council he is re types of events. Staff is working on a Re ble they will open the library. Since this is for warming/cooling stations and what questing a policy for a Cooling/Warming quest for Proposal to buy commercial the only facility we have with the generator their duties would be. Policy for use in non-state of emergency grade generators for both Centres with the backup that could be used in those circum The report was prompted after a power situations but one that will also work in goal of having these installed by early stances. Obviously, there are some short outage in North Middlesex, in April of last partnership with the municipality emer spring tbjs year. comings with the use of this building since year, where areas of the municipality were gency plan in case the situation worsens. Financing for the generators has already we do not have the room and the other side without power for up to 32 hours because ''During times of emergencies, we know been approved by council with $50,000 of that is because we would rely on the of an ice stonn that swept through the area. that communication to our ratepayers and coming out of the Generator Reserve and County to open their side of the building, Lucan Biddulph had warming and charg to our support staff is a key step in provid another $100,000 out of the Emergency we do not have total control over staffing. ing centres for people to go to when they ing timely effective essential services. The Preparedness Reserve (which came out of So, we see that as a short-term solution, but needed warming up, but North Middlesex power outage of April 2018 has offered the the 2017 surplus. in the end, we know we need generators in did not. The Shared Services Building did opportunity to review our service level in Cornelissen said he is glad that the mu our other facilities." have an emergency generator but because non-emergency situations when residents nicipality is moving forward with the pol none of the communication systems could require additional support. To provide that icy but he wondered what the interim be used, management and the Mayor de- support in a cost-effective manner there strategy would be if a similar situation hap- ay ad Februaryadvertise 12, 2019 let'sPage Get 5 of 17 CookingC 4 - Library Info 3-2 with us ~ It Works! at Glencoe library I WORDS AEROBICS V ANTIOXIDANTS BODY N CAFFE INE u CALORIES CASCARA T CAT ECHOLAMINE R CHOLESTEROL COMPOSITION I DJ:ETICJ:AN DIURETIC E EPHEDRJ:NE N FAT GASTRIC T GLUTEN- FREE KETO s LIVE- FOOD E LOW- CARBOHYDRATE MACROBIOTICS N MACROS MEDJ:TERRANEAN I METABOLJ:SM R NUTRIENTS OBESITY D OMN IVEROUS E P LANT- BASED PROTEIN H RAW Those registered for the Let's Get Cooking program p RESTRICTION SUGARS at the Glencoe Library enjoyed their first evening of E SUPPRESSANT classes on January 15, learning to make some healthy VEGAN snacks during the first evening of classes. Th·e seven A VEGETARIAN WESTERN week program is led by library staff members who re ZON E ceived training through the Middlesex-London Health Unit. FebruaryJANUARY 24 12,, 201 20199 • LAMBTON · MPagelDDLESEX 6 of • STAN17 DARD C PAGE4 - Library ELEVE N Info Scottish Dancing PA day fun at Ailsa Craig library back in swing for the new year Middlesex County Library Ailsa Craig Branch celebrated 'Winter Wonderland' on Friday, January 17th, a PA day event, since kids were off school for the day. Chil dren could come to the library to do a scavenger hunt, colour or make snowmen as these kids are doing here. From left is Eva Hopwood-Mcl eod, Jannette Van Deuren, Ryker and Griffen Scott. By: Barb Shea, Hayter Publications Inc. ~tJee.~t ~e)l!.O.~~~Sin_e.S_s.e_s ~'11..PJ lilJ!IQ S.'Qe~Qrt' 11 ii 11 Scottish Dancing takes place every Thursday evening from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm at Ye Olde Towne Hall in Ailsa Craig. It is a come when you want kind of pattern with ~l!.tjJ «>~~.!D~~~t! i - only a $2 charge to participate. The dancing is guided by instructor Marie Mclennan and is open to all who would like to come. On Thursday, January 17th 16 people participated dancing in groups of eight. By: Barb Shea, Hayter Publications Inc. Ta IS February 12, 2019 Page 7 of 17 C 4 - Library Info 16 - Wednesday, 9 January 2019 New council appoints new EMS dispatch discussed by Gina Jashewski committees and boards MIDDLESEX - Middlesex-London Para communications from paramedic oper, medic Services is seeking to gain con tions. by Gina Jashewski trol over its ambulance dispatch centres Currently, ambulance dispatch centre MIDDLESEX· The freshly elected Middle tees Mary Jane Steele, Leslie-Anne Steep from the provincial government in order are sending whichever ambulance rf sex County Council approved a new list of er-Doxator, Michele lvanouski and David to increase efficiencies in resources and sponds to the call and not necessarily th committee appointments for the 2018- Sitlington. decrease emergency services wait times one closest to the incident, leading to th 2022 term during their latest meeting on Councillor Adrian Cornelissen has been across the region. increases in wait times. 18 December 2018. appointed to the London-Middlesex In a presentation to Middlesex County Roberts also pointed out that the gO\ The council is also responsible for ap• Housing Corporation committee. Council on 18 December 20181 MLPS ernment run center in Cambridge recen• pointing citizens to the Middlesex County The University of Western Ontario Chief Neal Roberts outlined the difficul ly had to be shut down due to staffin Library Board and the Middlesex County committee appointee is councillor Cathy ties faced by the county in coordinating issues, with all of their calls being trani Accessibility Advisory Committee. Burghardt-Jessen. with the government-run dispatch cen ferred over to Hamilton. The County advertised for applications The Western Fair committee will be tres, leading to longer than normal wait By gaining ownership over the centre for citizen appointments in local newspa· overseen by Warden Kurtis Smith and times for ambulance and paramedic ser and controlling how land ambulance se pers, the county's website and Middlesex councillor Alison Warwick. vices. vices are deployed, Middlesex-Londo County branch libraries. The Middlesex County Library Board Roberts says the province of Ontario is Paramedic Services could ensure the be~ Eight citizen applrcations were received was appointed to Warden Kurtis Smith legislatively and financially responsible use of their resources, which would ere for the Middlesex County Library Board and councillor Brad Richards, with citizen for Ambulance Communication Centres in ate an even higher performing and stabl and four applications were received for appointees Ruth Adams, Jim Maudsley Ontario. system. the Middlesex County Accessibility Com and Marigay Wilkins. There are 22 Ambulance Communica Roberts says greater accountability an mittee. The Middlesex County Budget Commit tion Centres throughout Ontario, with transparency will result from a municipa Appointed to the Middlesex-London tee wlll have Warden Kurtis Smith, coun Christine Elliott's Mii;iistry of Health di ly operated system, which would includ Board of Health are councillors John Bren cillor Joanne Vanderheyden, councillor rectly operating 11. a defined dispatch process that addresse nan, Aina De Viet and Kelly Elliott. Aina DeViet and councillor Brian Ropp. The other 11 centres are operated by local concerns regarding the quality an Warden Kurtis Smith, councillor Joanne Finally, the Middlesex-London Emer municipalities, hospitals or private own efficiency of ambulance dispatch Vanderheyden and councillor Alison War gency Services Authority was appointed ers. Councillor Joanne Vanderheyden e~ wick will serve on the County/City Liaison to councillor Cathy Burghardt-Jesson, Roberts said the Ministry of Health has pressed some doubt over the province Committee. councillor Brian Ropp and warden Kurtis set the standards for ambulance commu willingness to hand over control of th Serving the Middlesex Accessibility Ad Smith. nication center configuration throughout centres, saying they have been work1n visory Committee is Warden Kurtis Smith, Middlesex County Council meets again the province, but since the early 20oo's unsuccessfully towards this for a Ion councillor John Brennan and councillor on Tuesday 15 January 2019. they have not kept pace with technology, time. Allan Mayhew, along with citizen appoin- staffing and advancements with para Chief Administrative Officer Bill Ray medic communication ,;ervicec;. h11rn PxolainPn that oart nf th@ ic;c;111> 1 vv 1... ,, \.vvv 111 c:: "'"'aL,v, ,:1, u1 ,c 11, , cJ11\.11111 01 n.1 L~cH ,,, u t:. e;1wct1 ~, r-11 ~ 1...d1, IIdlfJJJt:I Id1IyvvIIt:I t: • I11u~Iy vvu1 "'-, u1~ ,...., ~ l.111~I !:tldlt!U. I11ey dTt! L~~ or pr~JJdrir1y a tenoer ,or a rescue uucK ror one in Ai Isa Craig, the fire service boasts a full How was 2018 compared to 2017?Were calls your first line of defence and one of the most SEE FIRE/ 21 February 12, 2019 Page 8 of 17 C 4 - Library Info Patent landowners' property NOTICE OF PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE rights discussed at council by Alan Good Wellness Centre Development NORTH MIDDLESEX · The Twp. council meet basic insurance. ing for 16 January began with two applica Director of Emergency & Safety Services tions, one for severance and one for a rezon and Fire Chief Will Davidson was next, with a Date: Tuesday, February 19, 2019 ing. Both were approved with conditions and report on "inclement weather". He suggested Time: 4:00pm - 7:00pm slight changes. .. opening centres as warming or cooling cen Ken Simpson addressed council next giving ters. Generators need to be in place and rate Location: Komoka Wellness Centre, London Life Room, 1 Tunks Lane, an address regarding property rights and the payers need to be aware of these centres. Magna Carta. Reading from a hand-written Currently, the Parkhill Library has the only Middlesex Centre, Ontario, NOL1RO sheet, Simpson alluded to property rights and back-up generator. Sizes for the centres would being allowed to do what he wants on his land, need to be larger than the township building, because of a land patent dating from 1763. for example. The township's response to last Design for Happiness (DFH) Inc., is pleased to present its proposal for the Simpson continued by- asking Mayor Ropp if winter's power outage with freezing tempara• development of the lands behind the Wellness Centre on Glendon Drive in he "swore to the queen". Simpson stated sev tures was considered very poor by voters. eral times that he should have the right to sev Justin Dias, Director of Economic Develop· Komoka (the "Development Site"). er or do what he wanted without authorities, ment & Community Services, gave an overview such as conservation authorities, intervening. of the Community Improvement Plan (CIP). Af Mayor Ropp and CAO Nandini stated that ter a short discussion on options, council voted The Development Site is located on the Northwest corner of the Wellness these decisions usually came from upper tier to remain "ahead of the curve" by ~eking Recreation Centre and is currently undeveloped. Anyone interested in the governments. Due to time restraints, it was investment opportunities, residential growth agreed that council would read Simpson's let• through possible reduced development charg proposed development is encouraged to attend the Public Open House. ter and provide an answer later. es, and improvements on the official plan. Next, two representatives from HMS Insur Dias will conduct a study to determine the ance spoke regarding the township's 2018/19 "best case scenarioH addressing all aspects of insurance coverage and premiums. Insur the township. 0 ance for the same basic coverage as last year CAO Syed addressed the delay of the On ·- increased by 1.8%. The renewed premium tario Municipal Partnership Fund and the letter ,..v-.- '"'' comes in at s279,216. The representative then from the Minister of Finance stating they have brought up terrorism coverage• an additional a sis-million deficit and are promising to work s5,ooo-6,ooo • and chemical and nuclear war with townships. Syed said the fund accounts fare coverage, stating other townships have for 15% of the municipality's revenue. Not been inquiring about it. knowing what the outcome will be, budget de Wellness Centre Only two claims have been brought against liberations are difficult, if not delayed. Money Development the township and are ongoing. CAO Syed rec from cannabis may help, she added (a no,ooo ommended council accept the renewal on the grant). No retail stores are coming here. MANAGEMENT (from page 1) scape, staff development and ongoing gather experience and educational tran training is key in providing continuous de scripts to be used as supporting documen velopment in our service delivery," Syed • tation. continued. "As the CAO of this spirited and For Davidson, his fifth year with North dynamic workforce my hope is to develop Middlesex, "the designation brings together and foster a corporate culture that enables everything pertaining to my work experi individuals to realize their potentials. Which ence and education over the past 23 years". in turn will offer best of our service potential "I like to look at this as not what does this to our residents. give me," Davidson stated, "but what did Over 31 000 local government administra the experience of the past 23 years do to tors, from front-line staff to senior manag help shape me and to help bring guidance ers, possess this credential with over 700 and expertise to our Municipality." members having a profession-specific en "This was a designation I have been aim hancement awarded by their respective as ing to attain since the last 13 years of my sociation; representing over 30 professions municipal career," Syed stated. "It repre in the local government sector throughout For additional information on this public meeting please contact: sents a cumulation of one's academic and Ontario infl'\lri\,l.ei.~innfnrh~nnin~~~ ,..~ COMMUNITY SEWING BEE [email protected]:a February 12, 2019 Page 9 of 17 fax: 519-245-164C 4 -7 Library Info January 29, 30, and February 1, Ma,I: 73 Front St. W, Strathroy ON N?C 1X6 anytime from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Melbourne Agricultural Deadhne· Fnday 4:00pm Hall, 21866 Melbourne Road. Listings are provrded frel' of charge to local 11011 Sponsored by The Melbourne prot,, organ1uitmns. ro hst your ev1mt, please format Agricultural Society. Come join us according to lcstmgs on these pages. to sew. or stop in for a visit. We will be sewing Alzheimer Touch/ Sensory Quilts for seniors in our Bring a drum or other percussion STRATHROY-CARADOC community. We will have all the I wind-instrument (some extra materials that you might need to instruments will be available for OPTIMl$!Y_!HJTH BAND design and sew. Bring your own sharing) and be part of this music Thursdays - 6:45 • 7:45 p.m. sewing machine and equipment, or circle to spontaneously create use machines and supplies which music together - and· learn a Community room at the Real will be available. A free lunch will few new rhythms! Dancers, Artist Canadian Superstore: ages 10-18; $50 be provided. or bring your own. and other Creative Expressions registration for the season. Contact Everyone is welcome- sewers and are welcome to fill the center Diane McGuire. 519-205-5050 or non-sewers. We have created and of the drum circle with their [email protected] distributed over 650 free quilts to contributions to building our TOPS ON5316 STRATHROY those who need them. For more collective rhythm! Every person information contact Betty 519 289 has an 'inner-beat" wanting to We are a weight loss support group, 5576 [email protected] be expressed. so come and share which meets every Tuesday, 6:30 yours . connect with community p.m. weigh-in, 7pm meeting; Royal THE VON AUHEIMER COMMUNITY and join this group of women, Canadian Legion Br. 116, 266 Metcalfe SUPPORT PROGRAM men and children of all ages St. W. (upstairs), Strathroy. Info. 519- and be part of this healthy & 245-1623 or email; [email protected] Is hosting their 24th Alzheimer fun community event! Join the Awareness Event "Enhancing Facebook Group & Event to keep STRATHROY CHORALE Caregiving relationships using updated: Person-Centered Communication Acommunity choir f0< men and women with Individuals with Dementia" Group: https://www.facebook.com/ practices weekly on Wednesday evenings featuring guest speaker Dr. groups/221078538713453/ from 7:15- 9 p.m., St. John's Anglican Marie Savundranayagam, PhD, Event https://www.facebook.com/ Church Hall, 34 Head St., Strathroy: new Assistant Professor, School of events/ 42561863797 4135/ members are very welcome. FOf furthel information. call Val. 519-245-4076 Health Studies, UWO. This "free" For Questions call or email Mary event is being held on Thursday Foran at 647-449-9642 - info@ GLENCOE LEGION REG January 31st. 2019 from 6:30-8:30 funct1onalyoga.ca pm at Sprucedale Care Centre LOVELL BRANCH 219 Auditorium, 96 Kittridge Ave. SUMMER THEATRE CAMP Monday to Friday-3 p.m.: Saturday - Strathroy. Registration begins at 1 p.m.: Sunday - 12:30 p.m. 6pm. RSVP is required as seating Registrations open now for Fridge is limited. Please call 519-245- Door Live Theatre Company's Hall Rental available for Banquets. 3170 ext. 228 to register. 7th Summer Season in Strathroy. meetings. family gatherings and The performing arts experience more. Call or fax Branch at 519-287- STRATHROYPHOTOGRAPHYCWB is designed for youth going into 2733 or visit us on facebook Grade 4-10 in Sep 2019. The camp Meet on the last Thursday night takes place, August 5-9 at the STRATHROY SENIORS CENTRE of each month. Come meet fellow Westmount CR Church, 405 Drury 137 Front St., Strathroy photographers and be inspired to take Lane, Strathroy. $150. by June 1. your photography skills to the next ($160. after). Register online at www. Monday - 1- 4 p.m. · Euchre level. Next meeting is January 31 at FridgeDoorlive.com or 519-495·7305. - 7 -10:30 p.m. - Square Dancing; 6:30 pm, upstairs at 48 Front St E. contact Mary. 519·666-1029 For more information please contact WEEKLY Keith at 519-878-4623. Tuesday-! - 4 p.m. · Bridge Thursdays 3:30-4:30pm. Komoka Thursday - 9 -10:30 a.m. -Floor STRATHROY DRUMMING Library Program Room, Glendon Shuffleboard Dr. and Tunks Lane. Use side door & SOUNDSCAP£ CIRCU off parking Lot. Anyone struggling -1-4 p.m. - Jamboree · $5 COMMUNITY GATHERING with Compulsive Eating. Lifetime Friday- 1- 4 p.m. • Bingo (lunch support with no fees or diets. available): 1-4 p.m. • Bridge Saturday February 2nd, 2019 - OvereatersAnonymous.org 7-9pm. Location: Dance Factor STRATHROY ADULT Studios 55 Frank St.. Downtown Thousands have recovered come join Strathroy · Join our monthly us. Joan S. 519-694-9075 CO-ED BADMINTON community connecting event on UNEDANCING Thursdays - lpm to 4pm. a Saturday night in downtown West Middlesex Memorial Centre; Strathroy - returning to: Dance Tuesdays, 9:00 -10:30 am at the no experience necessary; racquets Factor Studios location! Everyone Strathroy Legion. 266 Metcalfe St. provided. is welcome and can join in on this West. Beginners to advanced · all musical-creative collaboration. welcome. Admission $4.00 Contact Cindy, 519-200-0268 lil~ay and afternoon high tea credit card. the Homewood Suites. A 37-year-old London woman was arrested and charged I Februarylook forward to12, seeing 2019 you with the Pagefollowing 10 offences: of 17 fraud under $5,000,C 4 three - Library counts of Info l the new year. possession of stolen property under $5,000 and two counts of failure to comply with recognizance. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact the police or Crime Stoppers. supplied photo Signpost photo by Wendy Spence COMMUNITY SUPPORT: Dorchester Library supervisor 1e at Lord Dorchester perform Kathryn Suffoletta accepts a cheque for $250 from Thames Centre Business Association (TCBA) president Doug Bailey. The TCBA has committed to a 10 year donation to the library in ·exchange update for the library hosting the Business Hall of Fame. erformers also debuted the DSS Broadway Revue called ilver Screen. Additionally, our talented :eavers performed both the :anadian and American .ational anthems at a London :nights hockey game. These tudents did a fantastic job epresenting LDSS. The girls' hockey team emains undefeated in regular easons games. Awesome job adies! The senior and junior 1oys basketball teams, as well as he LDSS swim team, continued o take part in competitions. 1/ay to go Beavers! Signpost photo by Wendy Spence To conclude the month of FUN GROUP: From left, Julie Piciga, Thames Centre Business )ecember, the LDSS student Association vice-president Delia Reiche, Gordon Piciga, Elaine ,arliament organized a spirit Blaney and Nancie Irving gather around the Christmas tree veek for the school community. while making merry during the association's Christmas Social at [he days featured themes such Dorchester Golf and Country Club. 1s Holiday Pyjama day, Red and :ireen day, Holiday Character lfll l photo courtesy of Belinda /. Clements Photography Signpost photo by Wendy Spence ZOOMING IN: Mark Helm demonstrates one of the techniques he uses during a macro photography ROAST FEAST: Bob Braunton gets ready to dig into his bounteous workshop at the Dorchester Library. meal at the Donnybrook Legion. • ~ n n ,,,~,~~ rv February 12, 2019 Page 13 of 17 C 4 - Library Info 10 THE SIGNPOST Wednesday, January 2, 2019 Putnam News by Irene Hansford 519-485-2229 Reynolds Creek United news Bill and Muriel Wye greeted the congregation at Reynolds Creek on the last Sunday of Advent. Ruth Anne Rath was Scripture reader. Marion Gough and Elizabeth MacCallum shared the lighting of the Advent candles of hope, peace, and joy, and, this Sunday, love. The choir sang To Thee with Joy I Sing. Pastor Mary Dillon spoke about Mary's visit to Elizabeth and Mary's song. She was different after this visit to one who understood. Mary became a mother of faith. Everyone joined in singing Love Is The Greatest Gift as the o.ffe ring was r~ceived. Holy Communion was led by Pastor Mary and served by George Harry and John Couch. It was a Christmas communion of hope and promise. George Harry thanked all who assisted the Inter Church kettle drive and gave to the appeal through white gift and outreach Sunday. Julie Finch expressed thanks for cards and the visit from Pastor Mary with a poinsettia at this time of a death in the family. Others who received visits and flowers also expressed thanks for the remembrance. submitted photo Pastor Mary Dillon and Elizabeth MacCallum led in a Christmas GENEROUS COMMUNITY: Donations to the Thorndale Library's Holiday Giving Program are Eve service of carols and Scripture. displayed on and around a table. More came in after the photo was taken. All items were delivered Janet and John Couch completed the Advent candle lighting of to the Thames Centre municipal office for the food bank and Angel Tree programs. hope, peace, joy and love by lighting the Christ candle. This light repres~ntin_g _Christ was ~assed around the church by each lighting February 12, 2019 Page 14 of 17 C 4 - Library Info 2 THE SIGNPOST Wednesday, January 9, 2019 and cardiovascular health. Our low m obility class is located at VON News Dorchester Terrace on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:45 to 11:45 by Laurie Sherret, Co-ordinator of am. The high mobility classes are Client Services & Volunteers offered at the FlightExec Centre 519-268-7028 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9 to 10 a.m. and Thorndale Community Centre We are welcoming all the Maplesugar Band for giving on Tuesdays and Thursdays from new beginnings with a sense of their time and talent. 9 to 10 a.m. Our blood pressure rejuvenation that comes \vith a If you are looking for clinics are another popular 1 new year. It was wonderful to ways to fulfil your New Year's community program. Come on out to one of our clinks to have see so many of our volunteers, resolutions, our SMART exercise D clients and families out at our classes were back on regular your blood pressure checked at annual holiday open house in schedule as of January 7. As and socialize with fellow visitors. In Dorchester, our clinic is every 2: December. It was great fun and always, our SMART classes are a the band was a very nice festive free of charge and focus on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Ei at Shoppers Drug Mart. In treat. A big thank you to the improving strength, balance OJ Thorndale, our clinic is on the first and third Tuesday of each month, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at M the library. The Thorndale clinic resumes on January 15. i Making New Year's resolutions is a great way of u setting healthy goals for the year ahead. We often resolve di to improve our lifestyle choices whether it's exercising more, ca losing weight or even eating av better. This year, challenge of yourself in a way that you may ta not have before and make a of resolution lhat not only improves your health and well-being, but di the health of the community m through volunteerism. A de thriving community is one CANADA where individuals invest their of time and energy and have a commitment to the people co within it. Volunteering is full in, of rewards. It keeps you busy, th. Slg,rpost photo 1,y Wendy Sp,,na encourages you to be social SU NEW STAFF MEMBER: Laurie Sherret has joined the Dorchester and meet others, it helps you dit VON office. She is filling in for co.-ordinator of client services learn new skills, and offers a l01 and volunteer community support services Nancy Clark, who is sense of purpose. We are always co on m aternity leave until December. welcoming new volunteers to on VON and are full of gratitude for the time and compassion 0 ~ IM A-- x CENTRE CITY that our volunteers offer our r:;11~1#\ REALTYINC. BROKERAGE clients and programs. Please R Hamt1ton Road At The Top ofthe Hil Shell it. contact me if you are thinking What's Your Real Estate Goal for 2019? of volunteering. R You can find me in the VON office Tuesday through Friday, Whether:you plan to buy a by phone at 519-268-7028 or by 53, starter, upgrade or downsize in email at [email protected]. Rf SU! town, rura~ small/large /arms #433 an, nr in111>.dmpnf4: lot n1,,.. -'.? -'.? -1 ,on,..~ ·-- . -·1::1 .r•~·•· ...... t) ...... t'""' .. ,...... \,,- ,., ''""'""'""'I)~,. .:,w11_;"'- ;>V:t\JOVJ, vvayne nanruey Bugo/Carol Shells/Janis McCutchen/Robert Holland. Winners: ladies shuffleboard program over to You will work on your creative 532(191). On December 3: Peter Dorchester Terrace for the day pieces at horn~ and in the studio. lone hands: Velma Symon; men: Gerry VanBommel. High: ladies: February 12, 2019 Ferwerda.Page On 15 December of 17 10: Ruby Hunter; men: Anna Marie Thorn; second high:C 4 ladies:- Library Lenora Info on Thursday, January 17. The On January 17 it's papier mache, Wayne Coatsworth 550(246), fun will begin at 2 p.m. Join us Broomfield; men: Frank Flannery. Door prizes: Lydia Thompson/Jim January 24 mosaic and ceramic Jerry Crawford 575(216). Gail Hunter/Carol Sheils/John Broomfield. Skunks: Helen Reid (two)/Jim for a fun game and 1peet new table top, January 31 a seasonal Brooks 514(189), Bill Laidlaw people. Whittington/Joanne Bugo/Velma Symon. Year-end winners: lone scene on distressed wood. If you 529(217). hands: Carol Sheils; men: Fred Barth. High: Barb Beacham/Steve Winter programs have just would like to join in the fun, Williams. Skunks: Barb Lisowyk. begun. Join in now. Here is a list of activities to choose from: yoga, tai chi, Pilates, DrumFit, line dancing, Step N Out, clogging, euchre/bid euchre, New programs at the Dorchester Library cribbage, square dancing, carpet bowling, shuffleboard. Kurling, by Kathryn Suffoletta the resources in the Creative January 17, kids who are at 10:30 am. On Saturday January quilting, knitting/crocheting, FOR THE SIGNPOST Space. You never know what interested in joining the book 26, the celebration during open acrylic/multi-media painting, might happen. Children can be club can pick up a copy of hours will be to raise awareness pole walking, choir practice, School age kids who have registered for the PA Day Beach Howard Wallace, P.I. by Casey of the importance of readmg and computer lessons, pickleball, a PA Day on Friday, January 18 activities and Curiosity Club by Lyall, the book that will be engaging in other literacy-related indoor kite flying, drum circle are invited to warm up with our visiting or calling the library discussed at the inaugural activities as a family. There will and much more. beach theme activities starting at 519-268-3451 or online using meeting in February. be games, crafts, a reading nook, Artist Susan Hewitt Graham's l p.m. Registration is requested. the event calendar on the library Family Literacy Day, which a scavenger hunt, and some water colour classes are in full Flip-flops, shorts and sunglasses website Iibrary.middlesex.ca. is recognized annually on surprises. In addition, if you swing. The students are painting are optional but encouraged. The New for 2019 is a Junior January 27, is a Sunday this year, attend the Friday Storytime or beautiful pictures. The first class fun continues with a screening Book Club for boys and girls in so the library is celebrating on get caught reading in the library of the session was on January 11 of Moana for all ages at 2:30 Grades 3 to 6 to discover new Friday, January 25 and Saturday, on January 25 or 26, your family and the last two workshops will p.m. No registration, just drop books, enjoy fun activities and January 26. There will be a special will receive a ballot for a chance be on January 18 and 25. Susan in. Popcorn and water will be make new friends. Beginning Storytime on Friday January 25 to win a prize. is taking a holiday in February provided. and then she'll be back in March The Curiosity Club for kids to teach another series of acrylic in Grades 3 to 6 is meeting on painting classes on the 8th, 22nd Saturday, January 19. There will and 29th. If you are interested in be activities, games or crafts using [ who spoke about 4-H in Elgin and Middlesex. There were 248 take a Orea.IC rrom votunteermg at Kona.10 _,1c1Jonat Harrietsville-Mossley News This couple hopes to successfully take over the oper; by Marilyn Howey Succession planning is an expectations naturall issue that is top of mind for time:• 519-269-3468 many fann owners. Often the Junior partners plan is to hand over the reins to own ambitions anc a younger family member. But aren't necessarily wh when family is involved, there can partner had in mine Euchre update be greater sensitivity amongst the immediately. Nineteen people attended euchre on Friday January 11. It was participants and greater potential The best way nice to see new faces and we hope you will come again. High score for differences of opinion. partner to approach winners were Danielle Lucier and Laurens Veraart and low scores "It's only natural that is to treat it like th{ were held by Mary Finch and Bob Lucier. Lone hands winners were perspectives on succession are other business trans; Marilyn Howey and Shirley Lunn. Draw ticket winners were Ruby significantly different for senior this isn't always ea Hunter, Eva Harder and Laurens Veraart. Women's Institute news and junior partners as they some steps you can transition into new roles:• says Be patient. S The Harrietsville Women's Institute and visitors met at Ryan Riese, national director junior partner come Hariettsville-Mossley United Church on January 8 with Marilyn of agriculture strategy at RBC. with plenty of new a, Howey and Margaret VanHoucke in charge of the meeting. President "Even in cases where the younger ideas. However, b< Alberta O'Neil opened with thoughts for the new year. The Mary generation has been part of the too quick to chang Stewart Collect, Institute Ode and grace were repeated prior to a operation all along, their roles and sometimes put the s, light lunch. Guests Janine Lunn representing Elgin and Joanne Fuller representing Middlesex gave a presentation on 4-H and how it has changed over the years. There are agricultural clubs and lifestyle clubs open to young people ages nine to 21. These clubs offer youth hands-on experiences, activities, confidence building, mentoring, public speaking, judging, and life skills such as cooking and sewing etc. They were presented a gift of appreciation. Marilyn gave the motto: "Learn to do by doing:' Following this, the business meeting was conducted. The Middlesex District planning meeting will be held at Thorndale Library on the afternoon of Saturday, February 9. Harrietsville WI will host the spring luncheon in April. supplied photo FUN HEADWEAR: A local family models the papa bear, mama bear, little bear and baby bear hats from Apple Land Station that they received for Christmas, from left, Dale and Jayme McDonald of Thorndale with Iyla (four months) and Lileigh, 2; (middle), Melanie and Mike Gerrits of Thorndale with Conner, 9, Dayna, 7, and Emily, 4; (right) Abigayle and Jerry Doucette of Thamesford with Finley, I. February 12, 2019 Page 17 of 17 C 4 - Library Info 8 THE SIGNPOST Wednesday, January 23, 2019 Young artists' work on display at library by Wendy Spence THE SIGNPOST Three Lord Dorchester students are excited about a mural they created. Their work, a mural o( r,aintings based on books, is on a north wall in the Dorchester Library. My art students feel it was a good opportunity for them and they enjoyed it;' said LDSS dramatic and visual arts teacher, Michelle Murphy. "Feedback has been positive. Kathryn (Suffoletta, library supervisor) has said that people often stop and talk about the new addition to the space. It is a good conversation piece for people of all ages:• The students met with Suffoletta, who liked the idea they proposed that includes aspects of childrens, young adults' and adults' literature, explained Murphy. "The students then decided to create book covers for the three types of literature." Rachel, a fifth-year student, created paintings from Dr. Su~• One Fish, Two Fish; the cup from the Mortal Instruments series ofyoung adult novels and a desert scene from Holes. Madelynn Hubbell, Grade 12, depicted scenes from Song of Fire and lee, Rapunzel and Harry Potter. Sienna Longfield, who is also in Grade 12, focused her artwork on Lord of the Rings, Namia and Goldilocks. All three students created the mural, which took about three months to complete - from the planning stage, to rough sketches, to priming, to blocking in colours, to layering and finishing. According to Murphy, the Thames Valley School Board was offering a learning enhancement grant to complete art in the community projects. She applied, received a small grant, proposed the idea to Suffoletta and then consulted with her Grade 12 painting course students about painting a mural at the library as part of their course mark The library had been newly renovated, meaning new possibilities and space for artwork, the dramatic and visual arts teacher said "Also, the space is a wonderful place to display community works - one of the goals Signpost photo by Wendy S~e of the art in the community projects - a place where students from the From left, Lord Dorchester students Rachel Roberts, Madelynn Hubbell and Sienna Longfield model community can have their art appreciated by community members~ their mural at the Dorchester Library. February 12, 2019 Page 1 of 8 C 5 - Library Info Library Board Meeting Date: February 12, 2019 Submitted by: Liz Adema, Interim Director of Library Services SUBJECT: LIBRARY ACTIVITY REPORT BACKGROUND: As directed by the Library Board, every month the Director of Library Services will pass on to the community and the Library Board an account of accomplishments and highlights of the library over the past month and information about upcoming library events, projects and programs. INFORMATION UPDATES: • Family Literacy Day was celebrated in almost of all of the branches on January 25th & 26th. Activities in branches included special storytimes, games, and activities. Families were also encouraged to “Get Caught Reading” together in the library and were given a ballot for reading together. 163 ballots were collected over the two days and three families won Toys R Us gift certificates. • The 2019 Ontario Library Association Super Conference was held from January 30-February 1 in Toronto. The following staff participated in this professional development opportunity: Liz Adema, Mallory Austin, Chris Harrington, Jean Moir, Doug Warnock and Marilyn Bezzina (Parkhill Branch), Kathryn Suffoletta (Dorchester Branch), Courtney Joris (Glencoe Branch), Leigh Robinson (Lucan Branch), and Vanessa Jenner (Strathroy Branch). Staff would like to thank the Library Board for supporting their participation in this event. • In January the Canadian Mental Health Association began offering drop in service at the following branches: Glencoe, Lucan, Mt. Brydges, Komoka, and Parkhill. This is a pilot project to increase access in our rural communities to mental health care. Several other branches have indicated an interest in hosting CMHA staff as well. February 12, 2019 Page 2 of 8 C 5 - Library Info • Most branches are preparing for Family Day (February 18) with the EarlyON Let’s Play Together Activity Centres as the main theme. The following list shows branch schedules for the day: o Ailsa Craig, Ilderton, Mt Brydges – 10am-2pm o Dorchester, Glencoe, Lucan, Parkhill – 10am-4pm o Newbury – 10am-1pm o Komoka – 10am-3pm o Strathroy – 10am-5pm o Thorndale will remain closed, but will be in attendance at the Thorndale Winter Carnival o Coldstream, Delaware, Melbourne, and Wardsville will be closed. For a full list of programs and upcoming events, visit or www.library.middlesex.ca. Ailsa Craig The Penguins and Polar Bears program during the school break was fun for participants. The scavenger hunt activity allowed families to learn about 10 different kinds of penguins with both facts and life size replicas found around the library. Storytime also saw a great turnout with 28 in total. Our Winter Wonderland theme for the first PA Day of 2019 was a hit with all children and parents. The weather outside definitely matched the cold, snowy theme and was perfect for the Snowman Factory activity that was enjoyed by all. Building and decorating their own snowman from salt dough was just one of the many activities to keep everyone busy. Library staff are noticing an increase in the use of fax services this month and continue to receive positive feedback from the public who are grateful this is available in their local community avoiding the need for them to travel to a larger centre. Branch staff also assisted with two tech times and local agencies held two appointments. February 12, 2019 Page 3 of 8 C 5 - Library Info Coldstream The Coldstream Library had a very successful Family Literacy Day celebration in January. Supervisor Leslie-Anne Steeper-Doxtator held an impromptu storytime for the several families who came to the branch to join in the fun. Four adult patrons enjoyed creating hand crafted Valentines at the Coldstream Library with volunteer Dorothy on January 31st. Delaware The Delaware Library held a successful used book sale during the month of January. Proceeds from the sale will be put towards March Break programs. Children in Delaware enjoyed the drop-in Lego program offered each Saturday in January. Dorchester The Beach Party PA Day on January 18 provided a winter escape. Activities included making a colourful lei, bowling with coconuts, pin the coconuts on the palm tree game, a “snowball” toss, limbo and an opportunity to taste coconut milk. The participants had a lot of fun. The small in number, but enthusiastic, members of the Curiosity Club learned that some straws, string, and a few pony beads could animate a hand cut-out and make it robotic. The celebration for Family Literacy Day on Saturday January 26 provided opportunities for families to enjoy playing literacy games, make a snowman craft featuring the child’s first name, play with the library’s super-sized games, and share some books in our reading nook. An added activity was face painting by the very talented Mary B. who donated her time and talent. February 12, 2019 Page 4 of 8 C 5 - Library Info Glencoe On January 15th, Glencoe Library launched its first session of Let’s Get Cooking – a youth food literacy program developed by the Middlesex-London Health Unit. Each Tuesday, Jen and Marie lead a group of 8 young people as they follow a new recipe, learning safe food handling and cooking skills along the way. Later in the month, library staff caught a number of families reading together in the library during our Family Literacy Day, which kicked off with a well-attended family storytime with Jen. Tammy led patrons in creating button art for a new, monthly DIY crafting program for adults. The library also hosted a new, patron-led Writers’ Critique Group, where adult writers meet once each month to provide feedback for each other and hone their craft together. Ilderton The January PA Day was very busy at the Ilderton Library with a Celebrate the Dragon Day program and Storytime. Staff have noticed an increase in the number of grandparents bringing their grandchildren to the PA Days, Storytimes and the past January Literacy Days. Family Literacy Days saw 61 children & adults in attendance. The library offered a make your own puppet craft then tell a story in our puppet theater activity, an early literacy based scavenger hunt, a Storytime focusing on phonological awareness, a word wall to help build your vocab and a "what is a plot" bulletin board to learn writing 101. For the teens we offered Cursive Writing Guide & practice sheets. Komoka The ‘Sew-Happy’ quilting group held their first meeting at the Komoka Library. 21 women gathered to share their quilting projects. Due to the success of the first meeting, the group will be extending their monthly get-togethers to 3 hours in length and bringing their sewing machines to the library. February 12, 2019 Page 5 of 8 C 5 - Library Info Komoka’s weekly program for school aged children has been renamed STEAM Funk and now focuses more on science. One session this month focused on science experiments with eggs. Lucan The Lucan Library hosted the St John Ambulance Therapy Dog program for the 55 Up Club. Participants of all ages enjoyed the visit of Rick Smith and Archie from Parkhill, Fran Dow and Bella from Lucan, and Becky Campbell and Jasper from London. The Program Co-Coordinator, Terry Power answered many questions about the program to the enthralled audience. On January 23, Supervisor, Leigh Robinson, participated in a training session with mental health workers from various agencies, guidance counsellors, OPP, Middlesex County Library staff, and other front line workers who may find themselves interacting with individuals who display traits of Borderline Personality Disorder. This personality disorder is common in the population, and it is important for front line staff to be aware of those traits, as well as actions or words which could exacerbate or antagonize the situation. Verbal and physical skills were discussed to provide tools necessary for reducing a critical situation. These skills are particularly helpful both personally and professionally for front line staff as we move to a new evolution of library identity. February 12, 2019 Page 6 of 8 C 5 - Library Info Melbourne The Melbourne Library saw seven members attend book club this month to discuss All Girl Filling Station. The book was loved by all book club members who enjoyed a lively discussion of the book. Families stopped by the library on January 18th to participate in the PD stamping and craft activities. Mt. Brydges The library visited the children at Belvoir Cooperative Nursery School for a special winter storytime featuring tales and songs about winter animals along with using shakers, scarves, and felt. The children really enjoyed the storytime and participating in the various activities. The library has recently partnered with the Canadian Mental Health Association and have a Transitional Case Manager at the branch every Tuesday from 2-4pm to provide free counselling services. Library staff are happy to be hosting CMHA at their branch and have seen multiple patrons taking advantage of this opportunity. The library has partnered with St. Johns Ambulance to host Tyler and his bulldog Stella who provide therapeutic support to various groups in our community through St. Johns Ambulance. Stella was very sweet with the children and adults who signed up for the program. It was really wonderful to see the enthusiasm of the children who were excited to practice their oral reading skills with Stella. This program was a fantastic success, and the library looks forward to partnering with Tyler and Stella again for another program in the near future. Newbury Newbury has been quite busy this month. There were quite a few patrons visiting the library even with the cold weather. There was a little surprise mid-month as the volunteers got together and decorated the branch for Valentine’s Day. Hopefully February will see better weather for patrons visiting the library. February 12, 2019 Page 7 of 8 C 5 - Library Info Parkhill The New Year began with a busy first week with children attending the library to take advantage of various crafts and activities staff prepared. A particularly tricky New Year’s Eve scavenger hunt was really enjoyed by participants who did need a few helpful hints to find the last few clues! The Mystery Lover’s met to discuss Murder at an Irish Wedding by Carlene O'Connor and the Between the Pages group discussed This is Not My Life by Diane Schoemperlen. Our Stitches and Stories audiobook club welcomed a new member this month and they began listening to The Queen of Katwe by Tim Crothers. Library staff also held the first three sessions of our new cooking club Let’s Get Cooking, geared toward students in grade five and above. The program is a partnership between Middlesex County Library and the Middlesex-London Health Unit and is aimed at bringing basic cooking knowledge to youth in our community. Participants begin each session learning a new skill, and put that skill to practice in the cooking portion. Once the food preparation has been completed participants look forward to the tasting portion of the program! Students have enjoyed making a variety of dishes and feedback from both students and parents has been really positive. Library staff enjoy offering the program and look forward to each session weekly. The PA Day program this month was a Dr Seuss theme that saw over 40 children participating in a Lorax craft, word searches, colouring pages, and a scavenger hunt. The branch celebrated Family Literacy Day with a prepared puppet craft. Families were encouraged to visit the library to act out stories like The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch, The Three Little Pigs, and stories of Frog and Toad from The Wind in the Willows. A family craft was also provided where families could colour and build their own paper bag puppets. It was a lot of fun to see the creativity and the stories participants came up with. Staff began the Afterschool Club following a two week hiatus over the Christmas break. Attendance seems to be staying consistent with this weekly programming as staff continue to refresh the weekly sessions with new crafts and activities. Strathroy The Spanish Conversation Circle wrapped up in early January and participants are already looking forward to more sessions starting in February. The library is continuing their partnership with the Strathroy-Caradoc Horticultural Society for the monthly family Gnome program. This month families made birdfeeders out of milk cartons. Families took their minds off the cold by visiting the branch for the Hawaiian Luau themed PA Day this month. For Family Literacy Day both a bedtime family storytime and a French Storytime were offered. Patrons who were caught reading in the library together were entered to win a February 12, 2019 Page 8 of 8 C 5 - Library Info Toy’s R Us gift card. Also busy bags were made available for families to explore to get ideas of how to create their own activities that focus on the development of early literacy skills. The EarlyON center partnered with the library to celebrate Family Literacy Day by providing the community with a pop up playground in the programming area. Thorndale The branch held a ‘Super Science’ PA Day program on January 18th. The children and parents had fun making stress balls by mixing together hair conditioner and baking soda and putting the mixture into a balloon. This activity had the biggest draw power. Participants could also make a flyer using paper strips and plastic drinking straws which we had on hand. The third science activity was to make a Popsicle stick catapult. We then challenged the children to test the catapult with a pom-pom and their flyer by propelling them through a target. The branch was packed in the morning! For the Family Literacy Day weekend Laura included a Curious George book at storytime on Friday and on Saturday we offered a showing of the Curious George movie ‘Show me the Monkey’. We also offered a monkey craft and a week-long Curious George scavenger hunt. The weather was poor Friday and Saturday which contributed to the poor turnout. Wardsville The Wardsville Library began the New Year with snowflakes in the air outdoors which augmented the large flakes decorating the ceilings and windows of the branch. Once back from their Christmas hiatus, Quad County Support Services clients resumed their regular visits for programming. With some group members enjoying the sunny south, two members of the Wardsville Book Club met on January 17 to discuss the classic “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott. Several children visited the branch during regular school hours with buses cancelled a number of times during the month. The cold temperatures outdoors prompted many to stop by for some good reading material as the month came to an end. February 12, 2019 Page 1 of 2 C 6 - Library Info Library Board Meeting Date: February 12, 2019 Submitted by: Liz Adema, Interim Director of Library Services SUBJECT: EMPLOYMENT AND GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES ACTIVITY REPORT – JANUARY 2019 BACKGROUND: Many patrons visited the Dorchester, Glencoe, Lucan, Parkhill, and Strathroy branches looking for assistance with applications for income support programs (CPP & OAS), birth certificates, and SIN cards, and Employment Insurance online reporting. Other frequent requests this month included online job searching, job application faxing, resume building, locating and printing government forms, eligibility for Ontario Disability Support Program, Passport Canada, permanent residence information, and Ministry of Transportation Medical Review forms. • At Dorchester Library, the following service providers were present: Employment Services Advisor – Community Employment Choices; Employment Specialists – Leads Employment Services; Middlesex County Social Services; Online Learning Recruitment Officer – Contact North; Itinerant Teacher – Thames Valley District School Board. • At the Glencoe Library, the following service providers were present: Middlesex London Health Unit; Employment Specialists - LEADS Employment; Employment Services Advisor - Community Employment Choices; Middlesex County Social Services & Employment Services; Itinerant Teacher – Thames Valley District School Board; Canadian Mental Health Association; EarlyON Play & Learn & Baby Time; Vanier Children’s Services/Craigwood Youth Services. • At the Lucan Library, the following service providers were present: Middlesex County Social Services & Employment Services; Employment Services Advisor - Community Employment Choices; Middlesex-London Health Unit; Family Service Thames Valley; Employment Specialists - LEADS Employment; Vanier Children’s Services/Craigwood Youth Services; EarlyON Play and Learn & Baby Time; Clothing Works. • At the Parkhill Library, the following service providers were present: Employment Services Advisor - Community Employment Choices; Family Service Thames Valley; Employment Specialists - Leads Employment Services; Middlesex County Social February 12, 2019 Page 2 of 2 C 6 - Library Info Services & Employment Services; Middlesex-London Health Unit; North Middlesex Economic Development Advisory Committee; EarlyON Play and Learn; EarlyON Play and Learn; London Employment Help Centre; Vanier Children’s Services/Craigwood Youth Services; North Middlesex Business Connects; John Howard Society; Canadian Mental Health Association. • At Strathroy Library, the following service providers were present: Service Canada; Middlesex County Social Services; Community Employment Choices (in-branch outreach presence on Tuesdays). ANALYSIS: January How would you rate the service you received today? Month Branch Excellent Good Fair Poor Total January Dorchester 7 0 0 0 7 January Glencoe 4 1 0 0 5 January Lucan 24 0 0 0 24 January Parkhill 7 0 0 0 7 January Strathroy 33 0 0 0 33 1. What service(s) did you access today at the library? Month Branch Computer Copy/ Government Job Books/ Service Fax Information Board Resources Canada January Dorchester 5 2 47 1 0 2 January Glencoe 5 3 0 0 0 1 January Lucan 12 12 5 7 1 6 January Parkhill 32 41 8 16 8 7 January Strathroy 12 27 3 0 1 2 February 12, 2019 Page 1 of 2 C 7 - Library Info Library Board Meeting Date: February 12, 2019 Submitted by: Liz Adema, Interim Director of Library Services SUBJECT: EARLYON LET’S PLAY TOGETHER BACKGROUND: EarlyON and Middlesex County Library under the direction of Nadine Devin, Interim Library Program Manager & Early Years Project Manager. Beginning in mid-February, EarlyON ‘Let’s Play Together’ Activity centers will be featured in 9 library branches: Ails Craig, Dorchester, Glencoe, Komoka, Lucan, Mt Brydges, Parkhill, Strathroy, and Thorndale. Family Day will mark the formal launch of these centres in the branches and are the key feature of Family Day programming. The ‘Let’s Play Together’ Activity Centres are interactive and self-directed stations. Each Activity Centre features a variety of different play materials focused around a particular theme. The seven themes of the Activity Centres include: sensory, construction, imagination, math, science, music, and loose parts. For example, the Imagination Activity Centre features a variety of small wooden kitchen appliances, tea set, wooden fruits and vegetables and more, of which children and their parents/caregivers can imagine themselves as chefs in the kitchen preparing a meal, brewing a coffee or enjoying tea. Themed kits will rotate between branches throughout the year. As well, to accompany the play materials, print resources are available as a means to highlight to parents/caregivers ways to explore and learn with their children at the Activity Centre and the benefits this type of play has for their child’s growth and development. February 12, 2019 Page 2 of 2 C 7 - Library Info ANALYSIS: According to a recent survey (2018), 38.2% of over 500 parents/caregivers are not aware of EarlyON Child & Family Centres. Of those that are aware and do not use, the times and days of the programs were a barrier. Respondents were also asked to describe elements of a welcoming community space for their children/families. A common thread in the responses was for “activity centres”. The ‘Let’s Play Together’ Activity Centres are intended to provide a welcoming and fun space for parents and caregivers with young children to explore, learn and connect together. As well, they are intended to bring EarlyON to the Library and extend reach in the community. Overall the objectives of the Activity Centres include: to increase awareness of EarlyON; to increase access to EarlyON programs; and to support community interest in activity centres in a child/family friendly space. Evaluation of the activity centres will completed in by parents and caregivers as well as library staff. Parent/caregivers will complete an evaluation card and will be provided with a ballot to enter into a prize draw. Staff will provide feedback on what they perceive the successes of the Activity Centres for families and the challenges faced in maintaining the Activity Centres. There will be one prize draw for each of the 9 branches participating. Each prize is valued at $150.00. The prizes contain a variety of items that are featured in the Activity Centre you are featuring. Your branch prize will be provided with your February delivery. The evaluation will be open until March 18th. After March 18th you will be asked to do the following: •Draw from the ballots and contact the prize winner to redeem their prize •Return all ballots and evaluation cards to Nadine at Library Office I will send a reminder on Friday March 15th regarding the above. Note: Instruction regarding the evaluation card completion and prize draw will be included in your table top display. February 12, 2019 Page 1 of 2 C 8 - Library Info 399 Ridout Street North London, Ontario N6A 2P1 519-434-7321 Media Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Nadine Devin, Project Manager, Middlesex EarlyON Child and Family Centres T 519.245.8237 ext. 4023 Email: [email protected] Date: Monday February 11, 2019 ‘Let’s Play Together’ at your Middlesex County Library! Middlesex EarlyON Child and Family Centres are launching ‘Let’s Play Together’ activity centres in nine Middlesex County Library Branches this Family Day to encourage young children and caregivers to connect, learn and grow together! In a recent survey through the County of Middlesex, over 500 local parents and caregivers were asked to describe features of a family-friendly community space. A common theme was for “interactive activity centres”. In response, Middlesex EarlyON in partnership with Middlesex County Library, are offering ‘Let’s Play Together’ activity centres as welcoming and fun learning spaces for caregivers and their young children. These centres are interactive and self-directed. Each activity centre features a variety of different play materials focused around a particular theme including sensory; construction; imagination; math; science; music; and loose parts. As an example, the Music Activity Centre features a variety of instruments where children can learn what things sound like, make different sounds (rhythm), how things work to make sound, about sharing and taking turns, problem solving skills and how to talk and listen. To accompany the play materials, print resources are available as a means to highlight to caregivers ways to explore and learn with their children at the activity centre and the benefits this type of play has for their children’s growth and development. To launch these ‘Let’s Play Together’ activity centres, families are encouraged to visit a participating library branch on Family Day and enter the prize draw for a ‘Let’s Play Together’ activity kit. These kits contains a variety of items featured in the activity centres, with a value of approximately $150.00 each. The prize draw will be open until March 18th and there will be one draw for each of the 9 participating library branches. Each month a different activity centre will be featured in each of the participating library branches, so children and their caregivers are encouraged to visit often to connect with the variety of materials available. Activity centres are available in the following nine Library Branches: Ailsa Craig; Dorchester; Glencoe; Komoka; Lucan; Mount Brydges; Parkhill; Strathroy; and Thorndale. February 12, 2019 Page 2 of 2 C 8 - Library Info Middlesex County Library Branch Hours for Family Day Ailsa Craig, Glencoe, Ilderton, Mount Brydges – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dorchester, Lucan, Parkhill – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Newbury - 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Komoka – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Strathroy - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thorndale will remain closed but will be in attendance at the Thorndale Winter Carnival Coldstream, Delaware, Melbourne and Wardsville will be closed Quick Facts Starting in January 2018, Ontario Early Years Centres, Parenting and Family Literacy Centres, Child Care Resource Centres and Better Beginnings, Better Futures Centres became collectively known as EarlyON Child and Family Centres. EarlyON Child and Family Centres are funded through the Province of Ontario. EarlyON centres offer free drop-in programs for caregivers and children from birth to 6 years old. You can learn and play with your child, meet people or get advice. Research shows that there are positive relationships between quality early learning and child care, parental labour market participation and child development outcomes. Additional Resources EarlyON – Ontario’s Child and Family Centres Ontario’s Renewed Early Years and Child Care Policy Framework and Expansion Plan Middlesex EarlyON Middlesex County Library - END - February 12, 2019 Page 1 of 1 C 9 - Library Info ~~ !~t~ ~n!~o~~r~ry Service 'l iI- Service des bibliotheques de !'Ontario-Sud Stronger Libraries. Stronger Communities. Enrichir nos bibliotheques, c'est enricher nos communautes. ECEIVED JAN l 8 2019 January 14, 2019 COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX Lindsay Brock, CEO Middlesex County Library 348 Frank St. Strathroy, ON N7G 2R4 Dear Lindsay, Today I am writing you as the coordinator of the APLL Institute. I am pleased to inform you that Liz Adema of Middlesex County Library has successfully met the certificate requirements of the APLL Institute and has earned a Certificate in Public Library Leadership. She is one of 21 successful candidates from 18 Ontario public libraries. Certificates will be awarded during the OPLA Awards Event 5 at the OLA Super Conference on January 31 \ 2019. This will be an important opportunity for Liz and her peers to receive well deserved recognition from the Ontario public library community. Liz is to be commended for making a commitment to her own leadership development, on top of the challenges of fulfilling the responsibilities of her position amidst many changes happening at Middlesex County Library. Over the two years, she completed 12 courses, an exam, a paper outlining her beliefs about leadership, and a local library project - a customer service review, using a very broad and deep understanding of customer service, with a view to service improvement and innovation. In addition, Liz has made a contribution to the learning of her APLL peers by thoughtfully participating in small group and class discussions. It is my experience that Liz is a capable example of a quiet leader, but she is also quite capable of finding and using her voice when necessary. In closing, I would like to congratulate Liz and commend you and the Board for supporting her involvement in the APLL Institute and for continuing to encourage her leadership development. I wish Liz and the library every success in the future. Regards, Anne Marie Madziak, M.L.I.S. APLL Coordinator, Southern Ontario Library Service Cc: Liz Adema, Middlesex County Library Bill Rayburn, CAO, County of Middlesex 1, rue Yonge Street Suite/bureau 1504, Toronto, ON M5E 1E5 416-961-1669/800-387-5765 www.sols.org February 12, 2019 Page 1 of 7 C 10 - Library Info January 10, 2019 SOLS Training Updates Exciting changes are coming to LearnHQ and EXCEL in 2019! The SOLS Winter Training Bulletin will be released on Tuesday, January 15th and will contain important information about: the newly improved LearnHQ portal: what to expect and instructions for logging on changes to the EXCEL certificate program and a new website celebrating 30 years of EXCEL upcoming Winter webinars Click here to subscribe to the SOLS Training Bulletin and receive up-to-date training information directly to your inbox. If you have questions about any of SOLS Training programs, e-mail the Training team at [email protected]. Board Resources and Training Resources SOLS and OLS–North are pleased to unveil the Governance HUBas a central, coordinated collection of governance resources for public library boards in Ontario, including orientation materials, an overview of governance roles and responsibilities, and access to a wide range of curated resources. This new, online February 12, 2019 Page 2 of 7 C 10 - Library Info platform allows us to update and refresh the materials on an ongoing basis, while still providing the core governance information that public library boards rely on to fulfill their responsibilities as set out in the Public Libraries Act. Training for Boards With respect to training, the approach for 2019 is a two-pronged process that better reflects the complexities of board governance and works to create a strong foundation for the Board/CEO partnership that is at the heart of good governance. The two parts of the training are a webinar that focuses on the basics of good governance, followed by regional workshops that highlight governance best practices. 1. Governance Fundamentals Webinar This webinar will focus on the basics of being a library board member. It will cover topics such as the Public Libraries Act, effective board meetings, authority of the board, governance vs. operations, fiduciary duty, and financial oversight. The same webinar will be repeated several times, starting on January 21st. Dates and times are listed in the Governance HUB. Registration for these webinars will open on Tuesday, January 15, 2019 in LearnHQ. Please note that there will also be a recorded version of the webinar available in the Governance HUB (coming soon!). Some boards may wish to view parts of the webinar together at one or more board meetings as part of ongoing board development and education. 2. Regional Workshops on Governance Best Practices Building on the webinar, and the foundations of good governance, SOLS staff will provide in- person workshops at several locations throughout southern Ontario, bringing together neighbouring public library boards. SOLS encourages board members and CEOs to attend together. These 3-hour sessions will focus on boardroom practices that support informed decision- making and strategic oversight. Considerable time will be dedicated to the Board-CEO relationship, including discussion of roles and responsibilities, the distinction between governance and operations, generating trust and respect for one another, creating lines of communication, and effective decision-making. The sessions will be interactive, with lots of time for small group discussion and networking. These workshops start in April 2019 with more information about dates and times will be released by the end of January. February 12, 2019 Page 3 of 7 C 10 - Library Info Networking Opportunities SOLS staff try to make sure that there are many networking opportunities for library staff, board members and volunteers - including gatherings of library staff, teleconferences with new Library CEOs, meetings of library trustees and online forums. Library Committees Library Committee meetings give library CEOs and senior staff an opportunity to discuss common issues. At these meetings SOLS consultants provide updates on SOLS or government initiatives. For the Winter meeting, we will be using webconferencing or teleconferencing systems, and return to in-person meetings in the spring. Registration information is posted in the 'Meetings and Online Communities' section of the SOLS website. The winter meetings are as follows: Monday, February 25, 2019 (9:30-11:30 am) - Peterborough area Thursday, February 28, 2019 (9:30-11:30 am) - Renfrew-Lanark area Friday, March 1, 2019 (9:30-11:30 am) - Northumberland-Hastings-Prince Edward Monday, March 4, 2019 (10 am-noon) - Prescott-Russell area (in French) Wednesday, March 6, 2019 (9:30-11:30 am) - Leeds & Grenville/Lanark area Thursday, March 7, 2019 (10 am-noon) - Simcoe-Muskoka area Monday March 18, 2019 (10 am-noon) - Saugeen area New CEO Peer Group The purpose of the New CEO Peer Group is to support newly appointed CEOs of public libraries as each learns about new responsibilities. The next New CEO Peer Group webinar will be held on Wednesday, February 13th, with the topic of "Governance Fundamentals for new CEOs". Registration for this webinar will open on January 15th via LearnHQ. For more information about the New CEO Peer Group, visit the 'Meetings & Online Communities' section of the SOLS website. SOLS at the OLA Super Conference The OLA Super Conference is set for January 30 to February 2, 2019 and SOLS staff are participating in several ways. Nancy Cooper is on the Super Conference February 12, 2019 Page 4 of 7 C 10 - Library Info Planning team, responsible for the Indigenous Stream, and will be leading a session on the First Nation Communities READ 2018-2019 program. Anne Marie Madziak is working at the Trustee Boot Camp and, with Brandon Fratarcangeli, will be leading a session called "Being a Productive Member of Your Library Board". During the Friday poster sessions, Anne Marie Madziak will present "The APLL Institute: Graduating Public Library Leaders Who are Making a Difference". The APLL Institute, a leadership program of Southern Ontario Library Service (SOLS), recently turned 10 and the poster session will highlight outcomes of the program (new knowledge, new behaviours, new skills). During the Public Library Awards Gala, 21 individuals will receive their APLL certificates. TD Summer Reading Club TD Summer Reading Club (TDSRC) is Canada’s biggest, bilingual summer reading program for kids of all ages, all interests, and all abilities. Co-created and delivered by 2,200 public libraries across Canada, this national bilingual program is developed by Toronto Public Library in partnership with Library and Archives Canada, with sponsorship provided by TD Bank Group. Kids can participate anytime, anywhere—at local public libraries across Canada as well as at home, online, on the road or wherever their summer takes them. Participants explore recommended reads; track their own reading; connect and share with others across the country; read e-books online; join in activities at libraries; and more. All libraries and library systems in Canada are eligible to offer the TD Summer Reading Club and receive the free print material. The theme for 2019 is the “Natural World” with the idea that the participants will “unplug” and take a moment to explore the stories and science of nature through adventure and play. Further information on the compelling idea, the illustrator and the available materials is now posted on the Staff Site for TDSRC. For those in southern Ontario, the form to order free program and promotional materials is available on the SOLS website. Orders are due by Thursday, January 24, 2019. Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport Annual Survey of Public Libraries February 12, 2019 Page 5 of 7 C 10 - Library Info The Annual Survey of Public Libraries (ASPL) is scheduled to open in mid-January 2019 with a May 31, 2019 deadline. Official notification that ASPL is open will come to you from Ministry staff. The 'target date' to complete the ASPL is March 15th; giving the Ministry staff time to release statistical data early in the year. The ASPL is completed in GO-Secure (not Grants Ontario) and so you would be wise to make sure that you can get into the GO-Secure system and that your password (which expires every 180 days) is current. To complete the ASPL, you will need your year-end financial statements. You will not need your Audited Statements for the ASPL, since those use accrual and the ASPL uses cash accounting. You will also need your data collected during the Typical Week period. SOLS staff are presently working on the compilation of holdings data for the provincial OverDrive collection as well as statistics for Interlibrary loan lending and borrowing. CELA January Updates New system The staff at the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) are excited to launch their new platform in March 2019. The new platform will make it easier for patrons to find and borrow accessible reading materials from CELA’s and Bookshare’s combined collections. In order to allow for additional testing, the launch date has been moved back a few weeks. Watch celalibrary.ca and social media for more announcements. CELA at the OLA SuperConference Staff from CELA will be in the Exhibition Hall during the OLA SuperConference. If attending, you will want to stop by for a demonstration of different reading technologies used by people with print disabilities. Learn everything you wanted to know about the EasyReader and VoiceDream apps on an ipad, Victor Stream and Stratus DAISY players and electronic braille displays which let blind users read text on a computer screen. Then on Friday, February 1st at 9:50 am, CELA and Bookshare will present “CELA and Bookshare: Partnering to Serve Ontarians with Print Disabilities” covering their journey to develop CELA’s new system. If you have any questions about CELA, please contact CELA Member Services at 1-855-655- 2273 ext. 2 or e-mail [email protected]. February 12, 2019 Page 6 of 7 C 10 - Library Info Ontario Public Library Guidelines The Ontario Public Library Guidelines (OPLG) is a very useful tool for all public libraries. We believe that the Guidelines can help to build upon and improve the current Ontario-wide public library system and its governance through updated guidelines and policy frameworks and provides a comprehensive development tool based on standards and guidelines which can be used by any public library system. Documentation for the OPLG is posted in both the "Accreditation and Guidelines" section of the SOLS website and on the the OPLG Council’s website. Successful Accreditation Audits This fall, the Stirling-Rawdon and the Town of Blue Mountains public libraries were successful in re-accreditation audits and both Mississippi Mills and Pembroke public library undertook their first accreditation audits. These libraries, as well as three from spring audits (Trent Lakes, Wainfleet and Lake of Bays), will receive certificates at the upcoming OLA SuperConference. For more information on the accreditation process or the tool itself, please contact a SOLS staff member at [email protected]. Changes to Employment Legislation On November 21, 2018, Bill 47, Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018 received Royal Asset. Bill 47 amends several aspects of the Employment Standards Act, including many of the amendment made through Bill 148, Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017. Bill 47 eliminated the scheduled minimum wage increase for January 1, 2019. Bill 47 also made amendments, effective January 1, to several areas, including: • Sick leave, family responsibility leave, and bereavement leaves • Classification as contractor • Holiday pay • Equal pay for equal work (between part-time and full-time positions) For a comprehensive overview, please consult the Ontario government’s Your guide to the Employment Standards Act. February 12, 2019 Page 7 of 7 C 10 - Library Info Interlibrary loan reminders The cut-off date for entering your 2018 Postage Reimbursement claims is Tuesday, January 15, 2019 (for Library Material Rate postage costs incurred in 2018 for mailing interlibrary loan items.). Further information and a link to the form is found in the 'Interlibrary Loan and Delivery' section of the SOLS website 416-961-1669 ext. | poste 5104 800-387-5765 www.sols.org 1, rue Yonge Street, Suite | Bureau 1504 Toronto, Ontario M5E 1E5 February 12, 2019 Page 1 of 11 C 11 - Library Info Wednesday, February 6, 2019 Governance HUB In December, SOLS, OLS-North, the Ontario Library Boards Association (OLBA), the Ontario Library Association (OLA), and the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOPL) launched the Governance HUB, the one place to look for governance resources and training for Ontario public library board members. The updated site was relaunched at the OLA Super Conference Bootcamp. Some features include: An easy-to-remember URL to access the Governance HUB: LibraryGovernance.ca Stay Informed. Sign up for periodic updates from the Governance HUB Team. Find the Four-Year Board Cycle. Year 1 is ready to use and the Year 2 to 4 will be available in the next couple of months. Sign up for upcoming webinars and workshops. Please share this information with your board members! LearnHQ 2.0 is Live! Our newly improved LearnHQ launched on January 14th! LearnHQ puts library learning at your fingertips. Anyone working or volunteering in a public library can sign up for a free LearnHQ account. There have been almost 850 logins since the launch already! February 12, 2019 Page 2 of 11 C 11 - Library Info Your account gives you instant access to online courses, live webinars and a wealth of resources from SOLS, OLS-North, Ontario Library Association (OLA), Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOPL), libraries and other partners. The new LearnHQ features: - enhanced search and browse capability making it easier for learners to find training - instant sign on and registration - a personalized dashboard with quick access to learner history - convenient online payments - access to online learning anytime from anywhere - self-paced training where learners can start and stop at any time and track their progress - a mobile-friendly interface for learning on the go Visit www.learnhq.ca to start learning! Winter Webinars Governance Fundamentals With the recent appointments to library boards, there are many questions about the work to be done over the next four years. To start the process, staff from OLS-North and SOLS will be presenting a free webinar on "Governance Fundamentals". This webinar will cover topics such as the legislative context of the library board, the appointment of officers, the management of meetings, including open and closed meeting processes, as well as begin to discuss roles and responsibilities for policy-making and planning. The same webinar will be repeated to accommodate the different timing of board appointments. You must register for this webinar, but there is no charge. The dates and times for these live webinars are: Thursday, February 7th - 7pm to 8pm Saturday, February 9th - 11am to noon Tuesday, February 12th - 2pm to 3pm Saturday, February 23rd - 11am to noon A recorded version of the webinar is now available through LearnHQ and the Governance Hub for viewing at any time. In addition to these webinars, in April and May, there will also be regional meetings aimed at Board Orientation and Relationships. February 12, 2019 Page 3 of 11 C 11 - Library Info Annual Survey of Public Libraries Completing the Annual Survey of Public Libraries is a required part of the process to receive provincial library funding. Whether this is your first time completing the survey, or you want a refresher, join Peggy Malcolm, André Lépine and Rashed Ahmed as they go through the annual survey document, answer frequently asked questions, and provide tips for completing the survey and highlight the new questions in this year's survey. There is no charge for this webinar, but you must register. The dates and times are: Thursday, February 7th - 10am to 11am Wednesday, February 13th - 2pm to 3pm E-Resources Webinars Through February and March, there will be several webinars related to e-resources: EBSCO - Designing promotional materials like a pro in LibraryAware (Wednesday, February 6th) EBSCO – Quick and easy collection promotion (Tuesday, February 19th) EBSCO – Easy Emails in LibraryAware (Tuesday, February 26th) Ancestry Library Edition – (Fri. Feb 22nd, Mon. March 11th or Thurs. March 28th) World Book – (Wednesday, Feb 6th) SOLS Online Courses Access online courses on demand! Login to LearnHQ to register for online courses. Start learning right away with our new convenient instant sign up and online payment features. Navigate through course content at your own pace, and receive an online certificate of completion as soon as you complete the course. These ten (10) courses are available now – accessible any time, from anywhere: Policy Writing Space Planning in the Public Library Customer Service Essentials for Frontline Public Library Staff Public Libraries and the Municipal Environment February 12, 2019 Page 4 of 11 C 11 - Library Info Readers' Advisory Service in the Public Library Collection Development in the Public Library Reference and Information Services Managing Digital Content Introduction to Public libraries Introduction aux bibliothèques publiques New Online course added to LearnHQ: The Librarian’s Guide to Homelessness The Librarian’s Guide to Homelessness is an online training course for public library staff, developed by Ryan Dowd. Ryan runs the second-largest homeless shelter in Illinois, and is the author of the ALA book, The Librarian’s Guide to Homelessness. In this online training course, Ryan teaches a three-part strategy for public libraries: 1. Understand the homeless experience. 2. Recognize that—because of that experience—threats and punishment are ineffectivewith homeless patrons. 3. Learn how to use the tools and skills of “Empathy-Driven Enforcement” instead. SOLS staff have negotiated with the Homeless Training Institute to receive “The Librarian’s Guide to Homelessness” online training for 25% of the normal price. This training is sold as a whole library license that covers your entire staff (and volunteers). Click here to learn more or to register. Crisis Prevention Institute Instructor Certification Training Save the Dates! SOLS is partnering with Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) to bring Prepare Instructor Certification Training to public library staff. This program focuses on reducing the frequency and severity of disruptive behavior and potentially dangerous workplace situations, improving consistency in response patterns, increasing employee competence and confidence, and fostering a culture of respect, service and safety at work. The Prepare training program will enable public library staff to become certified trainers and bring the training back to staff at their libraries. For more information about February 12, 2019 Page 5 of 11 C 11 - Library Info the Prepareprogram, please click here. Tentative dates and locations (3 full days each time) are: May 28-30, 2019 - Stratford Public Library (Confirmed) June 4-6, 2019 – Oshawa Public Library, McLaughlin Branch (Confirmed) June 11-13, 2019 – Simcoe/Muskoka area (Tentative) Registration information will be released soon, but the cost per participant will be $2950. For more information, please e-mail [email protected] Recap of 2018 for E-resources and E-collections We would like to thank all those who recently ordered 2019 licenses through the Provincial and Supplemental Licensing programs, as well as the Shared Provincial OverDrive collection. We believe strongly in the benefits of consortia purchasing, and we value your continued support in this area. Here’s a rundown to recap the 2018 year: Provincial Licensing: Staff at 208 libraries spent over $2.7 million on 67 different products, with a collective savings of over $540,000. Supplemental Licensing: In total, staff at 87 public libraries spent approximately $1.1 million among 55 available products. This year, we received the highest discount that Lynda.com offers (20%) due to the high level of library participation. In total, staff at 31 libraries ordered Lynda.com through the Supplemental Licensing program with a collective savings of over $106,000. Shared OverDrive Collection: The consortium has 194 member libraries for 2019, with access to a shared collection valued at over $4 million. There were 2,683,472 checkouts in 2018 – an increase of over 14% from 2017. Out of over 43,000 OverDrive libraries and systems, this places the consortium in the Top 15 for checkouts worldwide! What's coming in 2019 for E-resources and E-collections The fiscal year 2019/2020 will mark the renewal date for several projects – here’s an outline of what is to come: February 12, 2019 Page 6 of 11 C 11 - Library Info In the Spring of 2019 SOLS staff will issue an RFP for new Provincial Licensing content for the 2020/2021 licensing periods. Archambault recently sold its Mabiblionumerique platform to DeMarque, with a transition planned for February of this year. Beth Harding is sharing details with member libraries of the French ebook collection as they become available, and all titles will continue to belong to the consortium. In keeping with plans that were in place before this transition, SOLS staff will issue an RFP for French ebook content in the Fall of 2019 for the April 2020 license renewal. Our current OverDrive contract expires at the end of 2019, and with more options now available in the current market, SOLS will issue an RFP for the shared provincial collection in the Spring of 2019. All member libraries will be consulted throughout this process, and any questions can be forwarded to Beth Harding. Link OverDrive Titles with Advantage Plus Advantage Plus allows current OverDrive Advantage member libraries to select and share their Advantage titles with all libraries in the consortium. This feature is designed to improve title selection, availability, and circulation for all members of the shared collection. SOLS staff would like to thank the eleven (11) member libraries (listed to the right) that have set up Advantage Plus! To date, this sharing feature has added nearly 14,000 titles to the shared collection and helped to reduce wait times for patrons. For more information on participating in Advantage Plus please contact Beth Harding or visit OverDrive’s Training Resources. Networking Opportunities SOLS staff try to make sure that there are networking opportunities for library staff, board members and volunteers - including gatherings of library staff, teleconferences with new library CEOs, meetings of library trustees and online forums. February 12, 2019 Page 7 of 11 C 11 - Library Info Library Committees Library Committee meetings, offered three times a year, give library CEOs and senior staff an opportunity to discuss common issues. At these meetings SOLS consultants provide updates on SOLS or government initiatives. For Winter 2019, these meetings will be online and anyone can register for any date/time. The dates and times are as follows: Monday February 25th, 9:30 to 11:30 am (for Peterborough-Kawartha area) Thursday, February 28th, 9:30 to 11:30 am (for Renfrew/Lanark area) Monday, March 4th, 10 am to noon (for Prescott-Russell area - in French) Monday, March 4th, 9:30 to 11:30 am (for Hastings-Northumberland area) Wednesday, March 6th, 9:30 to 11:30 am (for Leeds-Grenville-Lanark area) Thursday, March 7th, 10 am to noon (for Simcoe-Muskoka area) Monday, March 18th, 10 am to noon (for Saugeen area) New CEO Peer Group There is a New CEO Peer Group WEBINAR at 11:00 am – noon on Wednesday, February 13th and the topic is a timely one: Governance Fundamentals and Board Orientation for the New CEO. There’s no charge for the webinar but you do need to register in LearnHQ. The purpose of the New CEO Peer Group is to support newly appointed public library CEOs. Because new CEOs, at any given time, are geographically dispersed in communities across the province, the group meets virtually as an online community of practice and then, twice a year, in participative webinars. For more information, please contact Anne Marie Madziak at [email protected] or 1-800-387-5765, ext. 5117. For other information, tools and resources to support new CEOs, visit the New CEO Tool kitwithin our 'Professional Resources' pages. And for those of you who like to plan ahead, it might be helpful to know that the next webinar is being planned as follows: Tuesday, September 17th from 3 to 4 pm on the topic of "Challenges of Board Governance" Governance Best Practices Workshops and Trustee Council Meetings February 12, 2019 Page 8 of 11 C 11 - Library Info The Trustee Council meetings that usually take place every spring will not take place in 2019. Instead, as a one-time exception, there will be Governance Best Practices workshopsoffered at several locations in southern Ontario in April, May and June. More information on the topics to be presented at this workshop is available on the Governance HUB. To help us plan space, we ask that you register to attend (and to register will need to create a LearnHQ account). The dates and locations are: Saturday, April 6 (10 am-1 pm) - Guelph Public Library, Main Branch Saturday, April 13 (10 am-1 pm) - London Public Library, Central Branch Saturday, April 13 (10 am-1 pm) - Belleville Public Library Saturday, April 27 (10 am-1 pm) - Kingston Frontenac Public Library, Central Branch Saturday, April 27 (10 am-1 pm) - Prescott Public Library Tuesday, April 30 (6:30-9:30 pm) - Eganville Community Centre (Eagle's Nest) Thursday, May 2 (5:30-8:30 pm) - Gravenhurst Opera House Saturday, May 4 (10 am-1 pm) - Midland Public Library Saturday, May 4 (10 am-1 pm) - Richmond Hill Public Library, Central Branch Saturday, May 4 (10 am-1 pm) - Perth and District Union Public Library Wednesday, May 8 (6:30-9:30 pm) - Selwyn Public Library, Bridgenorth Branch Saturday, May 11 (10 am-1 pm) - Owen Sound and North Grey Union Public Library Saturday, May 25 (10 am-1 pm) - Stratford Public Library TBD - Bibliothèque Publique de Clarence-Rockland (en français) TBD (June) - Hamilton Public Library-Central branch SOLS staff will also be participating in locally-organized Board Development days in York Region (May 11th) and Niagara Region (April 27th), with registration information coming from those organizers. The eight area Trustee Council meetings will resume in the Fall of 2019. You can find more information about Trustee Councils on the SOLS website. Index of Library Building Projects Since 2005, SOLS staff have maintained an Index of Library Building Projects in Ontario. Feedback from public library staff has indicated that it is a helpful resource in the initial planning stages of new building/ renovation projects. The Index can be searched by project type (new build, renovation), geographical area, facility size, and by library. February 12, 2019 Page 9 of 11 C 11 - Library Info However, we need your help in maintaining the Index as a relevant source of information for libraries across Ontario (and across North America)! At this time, we are asking staff at all Ontario public libraries with completed new building or renovation projects to please fill in this online form so that your project(s) can be added to the Index. By sharing this information, it will be publicly accessible and available to support the future research efforts and decision- making of public library CEOs and library building committees. . If you have any questions about the form or the Index, please contact Brandon Fratarcangeli, SOLS Consultant. Digital Archive Ontario, the New Virtual Reference Library Toronto Public Library (TPL) has revitalized the Virtual Reference Library (VRL) into a new site called Digital Archive Ontario. VRL started in 1999 as a curated lis of online resources. The new Digital Archive Ontario provides instant access to the 155,000+ historical items digitized by TPL, plus librarian blogs and videos with an Ontario focus. The site's mission remains the same: to support Ontario public libraries and communities outside Toronto and no library card is required for access! The site continues to be funded by TPL and the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Learn more about the new Digital Archive Ontario and its features. Note that you can also access it through LearnHQ. Note that 'Digital Archive Ontario' is not 'Our Digital World' (ODW). ODW continues to be a not-for-profit organization that provides software, technology, and services for libraries and archives to create, manage and display digital collections using the VITA toolkit and using the Our Ontario access point. Canada Reads 2019 in Accessible Formats Canada Reads is looking for the 'One Book To Move You' - a book that will inspire Canadians to feel, to think and to act. The list this year tackles a wide range of topics, challenging Canadians to explore our diverse perspectives and common experiences to find the book that all of Canada should read. Again this year, the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) is proud to offer participating titles in accessible formats, so that all Canadians have the opportunity to participate in this important conversation. Libraries may February 12, 2019 Page 10 of 11 C 11 - Library Info download or borrow copies in accessible formats through interlibrary loan from CELA, and are encouraged to promote audio and e-text copies from their own collections. The Canada Reads panel and the final five books were announced on January 31, 2019. The annual battle of the books will take place March 25-28, 2019. Each day of the event, the panelists will champion their books while winnowing down the list to the one book all of Canada should read. For further information, please contact CELA Member Services at 1-855-655-2273 ext. 2 or e- mail [email protected] Annual Survey of Public Libraries The Annual Survey of Public Libraries (ASPL) is now open - with a deadline of Friday, May 31, 2019. The ASPL is completed in GO- Secure (not Grants Ontario) and is one requirement toward receiving the annual Public Library Operating Grant (PLOG). To complete the ASPL, you will need specific statistics from 2018 but especially need: a) your year-end financial statements (you do not need your Audited Statements for the ASPL since the ASPL uses cash accounting format and not accrual) b) your data collected during the Typical Week period in the Fall of 2018. c) holdings data for the provincial OverDrive collection and provincially licensed databases. If you are new to your position or just need a refresher, it might be useful to participate in the free Annual Survey webinars listed earlier in this issue of Signal. Gelja Wegman is retiring!! Long-time SOLS staff member, Gelja Wegman, is retiring on February 28, 2019. Gelja started working with the Georgian Bay Regional Library System at the Barrie office in January 1989. Some of you may have crossed paths with Gelja when she was a driver with the SOLS delivery services for a short time, but she is best known for her work with SOLS training. She has helped so many individuals with LearnHQ registration, has answered many, many questions, and has arranged meetings and training events for us with February 12, 2019 Page 11 of 11 C 11 - Library Info such a quiet efficiency! She will be missed by us, and by the library community. We wish her well in her retirement. 416-961-1669 ext. | poste 5104 800-387-5765 www.sols.org 1, rue Yonge Street, Suite | Bureau 1504 Toronto, Ontario M5E 1E5 Manage Your Subscriptions | Unsubscribe February 12, 2019 Page 1 of 13 C 12 - Library Info Library Board Meeting Date: February 12, 2019 Submitted by: Liz Adema, Interim Director of Library Services SUBJECT: ONTARIO LIBRARY SUPER CONFERENCE 2019 – STAFF REPORTS BACKGROUND: The Ontario Library Association (OLA) is Canada’s largest library organization and OLA’s Super Conference is Canada’s largest professional development and continuing education event in librarianship. Super Conference features the country’s largest library tradeshow, bringing together over 200 firms to show off the latest technologies, trends, services and programs. The theme of Super Conference 2019 was Powered by the People, and the program consisted of hundreds of inspiring and informative sessions Library staff who attended have provided a brief description of their conference experiences. All staff would like to thank the Library Board for the opportunity to attend Super Conference 2019 and further their professional development. ANALYSIS: Liz Adema – Interim Director of Library Services I attended two days at the conference and the sessions I participated in had similar themes of Indigenous communities, mental health & resiliency, and customer service and experience. The session “Settler Colonization and Decolonization in Ontario Public Libraries” outlined the key recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Report for libraries to adopt. These include acknowledging land stewardship, decolonizing collections, spaces, and services, adopting inclusive and diverse programming, and celebrating First Nations Public Library Week and National Aboriginal Day in partnership with local Nations. Further action on these recommendations will be coming in the next few months. The session “Connecting to Indigenous Communities Through Film” demonstrated a partnership between the public library, museum, and Wyandot nation. Through the partnership a film of the history and exploration of a local archaeological site was February 12, 2019 Page 2 of 13 C 12 - Library Info created. The partnership also resulted in the creation of a virtual reality tour of the museum’s collections and a tour of a sacred site. These virtual reality tours have allowed individuals across Canada and the United States the opportunity to engage with their history and sacred beliefs without the barriers to access of physical mobility and location. It was a fascinating glimpse into how libraries can use new technologies to engage a larger community. “Your Brand is More than a Logo: Modernizing Customer Experience” and “How Retail is the Library” focused on customer experience as the primary goal of library services. These should be centred on the how, where, and why of our customers’ wants and needs. The library needs to engage with customers on their terms both physically and digitally. Both sessions provided a wealth of ideas and practices to draw upon for our system and the Library Services Review. Ensuring that our patrons and staff are supported through mental health issues and access to resources is a growing concern in our library system. As we work on partnerships with social services and the Canadian Mental Health Association, the library needs to ensure equal and equitable access for all patrons as well as supporting and managing our staff needs and experiences. The sessions “How Libraries and Librarians Can Champion Mental Health”, “How to Implement a Workplace Mental Health Program in Your Library”, and “Dismantling the Resilience Narrative: Honest Talk about Burnout, Morale Issues, and Negative Workplace Culture in our Libraries” provided practical steps, guidelines, and benchmarks to ensure the wellbeing of our staff and patrons. Mallory Austin – Library Technologies Specialist The first session I attended at OLA this year was “Big Decisions with Big Data: Using Environics to Inform Library Marketing Strategy.” Environics is a subscription based data marketing service that allows institutions to see which populations they are serving well and which they need to target. Underserved populations are identified by comparing the index to a target number. Environics is an expensive product, but Bruce County Public Library was able to collaborate with the municipal planning department to gain access to an existing subscription. During “Settler Colonization and Decolonization in Ontario Public Libraries: A Road Forward”, I learned some important information about Truth and Reconciliation. As our ILS administrator, I want to understand and address some of the structural biases that create barriers to access for indigenous peoples in our community. For example, I was surprised to learn that in Dewey, First Nations’ creation stories are catalogued as “Literature – Myth.” The facilitators convincingly argued that these materials should go in the religious section. February 12, 2019 Page 3 of 13 C 12 - Library Info In “Hacking Vendor Apps to Improve Usability”, I learned some custom JavaScript code that can be used to modify, hide and replace the content displayed on many vendor apps. I also learned some shortcuts to improve my coding workflow. In “Transforming Your Library into a STEAM Learning Hub Through Camps”, I learned about Markham Public Library ‘s paid day camp program that focuses on STEAM programming for kids. Through the program, the library generates some revenue and subsidizes technology program assets that they can use year-round. While this program is large-scale and staff intensive, it was cool to see the specific programs they are offering. I learned that Lego has new app for kids (WeDo 2.0) and about a popular new animation program for kids using StickBots. I hope to investigate both program ideas in 2019. In “Data Skills for 21st Century Library Practice”, I gained an understanding of some of the challenges libraries face in getting the information we need out of proprietary databases. The session discussed information management techniques but ultimately focused on the importance of supporting open source data systems that allow for more complex custom queries. One of the most useful sessions I attended was called “Making a Better Computing/Printing/Wi-Fi Experience in Your Library”, facilitated by staff from Toronto Public Library. TPL embarked on a project in the past year to improve printing services across their 100+ branches. They implemented Wi-Fi printing (the software they chose was SAM by Comprise). They also reduced the number of printers system wide by encouraging staff to print from public printers and removing public barriers to them. TPL encourages libraries across Ontario to do Internet Speed tests in each branch and compare that with the services we are paying for. TPL also promoted a new toolkit to assess technology impact in Ontario Public Libraries. The BRIDGE Toolkit helps libraries capture and analyze performance/outcome data on the technology services we offer. This product is currently in beta status, but I have reached out to express an interest and will be monitoring it for future developments. During “Empowering Programming for Girls”, I learned about the importance of creating programming that welcomes girls and non-binary identified children. Several great ideas and best practices came up during this interactive session. “Reading beyond Dementia” provided an evidence-based approach for providing books and services for those living with dementia. They stated that dementia rates have gone up 30% in the past decade. We can take many steps to serve this important population and give them access to enjoyable books. We saw examples of dementia friendly books, which have been created based on eye movement studies, and are available for purchase. February 12, 2019 Page 4 of 13 C 12 - Library Info Another great session was “A Hard Look in the Mirror- Reflecting on the Role of the Librarian”. Staff from Greater Victoria Public Library discussed an innovative staffing model they have adopted, wherein their librarians all have the title of “Public Services Librarian” and rotate through different job responsibilities every three years. This keeps the staff on their toes, and means that everyone documents their jobs extensively. The staff believe that this new model has led to better outcomes as fresh perspectives rotate into the various job responsibilities at GVPL. The keynote sessions this year were great. One thing I really appreciated this year was seeing a greater focus on Truth and Reconciliation for indigenous people - a Chief with some fantastic insights opened the Wednesday keynote on activism. The vendor floor this year was also great – I had an opportunity to discuss Sierra with some Innovative representatives and provide some feedback as a customer. Marilyn Bezzina – Parkhill Branch Assistant I attended 5 sessions on Wednesday, January 30. The first session presented the idea of library Maker Spaces evolving into Solution Spaces. Brian Pichman, (Director of Strategic Innovation, Evolve Project), discussed the UN’s 17 Sustainability Goals for our planet and how public libraries can become partners with communities and with businesses in finding innovative solutions to the problems we face. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable- development-goals/ My next session was presented by two school librarians, Jess Longthorne and Jacquie Raycraft, who shared their experience in taking students outside for Story Walks. The presenters described the many benefits for children being outdoors and their enthusiastic response to this novel way of reading a story. https://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/storywalk The third session was focused on Accessibility in Ontario Libraries, presented by Geordie Gibbon, from the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility. The key takeaway from this session, for me, was the idea that the definition of disability is changing to include mental health issues. Disabilities are not always visible or obvious! The next session was about the library and digital privacy. Not only do libraries have to protect the information our patrons share with us, but we need to be sure that our website is secure and that all of our third party partners, such as Hoopla, are also held to the same standards of privacy. The presenter, Adam Peltier from Windsor PL, holds workshops for library users to learn valuable information on protecting themselves from online data mining, surveillance, hacking, and the like. He shared a resource for us to get started on educating ourselves or https://libraryfreedomproject.org/resources/ February 12, 2019 Page 5 of 13 C 12 - Library Info My fifth and final session of my day at OLA Super Conference, was Transforming Your Library into a S.T.E.A.M. Learning Hub through Camps. S.T.E.A.M. stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. Three people from Markham Public Library (David Zambrano, Christopher Su and Kate Wetmore) shared their experience in running S.T.E.A.M. camps. This kind of hands-on learning supports both convergent and divergent thinking in kids, encourages ingenuity, and prepares them to think creatively and collaboratively. Chris Harrington – Reference Librarian I was very fortunate to be able to attend the full conference this year. I attended several excellent sessions. Below are a few of these highlights. On Wednesday, I sat in on the session “How Libraries and Librarians Can Champion Mental Health” that was presented by staff from Thunder Bay Public Library (TBPL) and London Public Library (LPL). TBPL advocated to question our old assumptions that public libraries are only for customers looking to read, learn, and use traditional library service. They had success with a community-led approach to library service and the need to allow library staff to get out of the library and meet with the community to ask them how best the library can serve the needs of the community. LPL spoke about the mental health and vulnerable populations that they serve in both their urban and community branches. LPL has adopted a “User First” philosophy which allows library staff to provide customer service to individuals based on the customer’s individual needs. User First can take the form of allowing library patrons that do not have proof of address to obtain a ‘connect card’ that allows them to use public Internet computers as well as to borrow up to 3 items. Library staff at LPL have the ability to waive fines if they feel that fines are an undue hardship for the patron. All good points to consider as more County library branches are observing homelessness in our Middlesex County communities. On Thursday, a memorable session was titled “Beyond Walls: Using Technology to Expand Horizons”. This session was put on by Milton Public Library (MPL). MPL spoke about two very creative library programs that were conducted using library outreach and technology. The first was a senior citizens program in which MPL staff took virtual reality (VR) viewers on Samsung Galaxy devices combined with the paid subscription to Rendever that allows for the VR experience and multiple viewing controlled by the library staff member to various seniors’ homes. This VR experience allows for brain activity in seniors, triggers recall, and due to the Rendever subscription, everyone is experiencing the same VR together so it is a shared experience that can be discussed as a group. The second outreach program that was mentioned was an outreach program at the Milton correctional facility prison in which inmates read and recorded themselves reading a storytime book that was recorded by library staff and later mailed February 12, 2019 Page 6 of 13 C 12 - Library Info to the prisoner’s child. The session was a good reminder that public libraries can help break down many different walls when there is a commitment to going out into our communities with outreach. On Friday, an extraordinary session that I attended was titled “Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost”. This was presented by Heather Casson, a library technician working with Toronto Public Library. Heather shared her experiences of growing up in poverty and being a homeless teen and gave a very interesting first-hand glimpse of what living with precarious housing and poverty is like. Casson provided ten very practical ways that public libraries can provide service to patrons experiencing homelessness including acknowledging them and providing library space for targeted displays, programming, and readers advisory. Attendees left with a handout that included suggested books and a template for a handout directing library customers to call numbers in the stacks that would assist those experiencing homelessness. Vanessa Jenner – Interim Strathroy Branch Supervisor I attended three Friday sessions at OLA this year: Work Less Accomplish More, Why Are We All So Tired? and Student Mental Health. The session that impacted me the most was “Work Less, Accomplish More: Strategies for Maximizing your Productivity and Prioritizing Self-Care” presented by Jacqueline Kreller-Vanderkooy. Six months ago I took on the responsibility of Interim Supervisor at the Strathroy Library while Jean Moir secondment a maternity leave at library office. I am getting a handle on all the duties and responsibilities of being a supervisor. However, the many interruptions during the day take a toll on my output. I really want to find ways to maximize my productivity. This session focused on exactly that. Jacqueline Kreller-Vanderkooy is a Learning and Curriculum Support Librarian at the University of Guelph. Jacqueline asked us to decide what are the most important jobs we had to do each day. For me it’s providing excellent customer service to our patrons, looking after my staff and keeping four weeks of the staff schedule posted. She suggested five ways for getting this done. 1. Track my time for one day, to see where my time goes. 2. Set up efficient systems for repeat tasks 3. Lower my standards 4. Do deep work when my energy is high and shallow work when my energy is low 5. Reinvest saved time wisely She also had great ideas for cultivating focus such as creating a routine that switches my mindset to focus on work. She suggests that every work day have a hard end time and that I need to be mindful of my downtime. It is my intention to implement many of February 12, 2019 Page 7 of 13 C 12 - Library Info these ideas in my everyday work and life. Jacqueline also mentioned two books that have greatly impacted her life and work. Off the Clock: Feeling Less Busy While Getting More Done by Laura Vanderkam and Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport. Courtney Joris – Glencoe Branch Supervisor This year’s Superconference offered a wealth of program and partnership-related ideas to consider for the Glencoe Library. In particular, the sessions “Evolution of Your Makerspace,” “The Edible Library: Bringing Food, Information, and People Together,” and “Communal Memories: Curating Oral Stories and Building a Platform to Make Them Shine” all presented promising opportunities for us to expand the repertoire of uses for the technology we currently have, as well as create programs that meet the interests and needs that have already been expressed by the community. “Evolution of Your Makerspace” provided participants with a clear and easy-to-follow model of how to gather community input and turn a makerspace into a “solver-space” – a place where communities can come together to solve real-world, local problems through creation. “The Edible Library” presentation contained a variety of models for supporting food literacy, food sovereignty, and food security in one’s own community, by growing food and creating informative and fun library programming around food. This was especially relevant to us now, as we are in the midst of planning the Glencoe Library’s community garden. Finally, I attended “Communal Memories” which examined Vancouver Public Library’s Story City – a grant funded project that enabled the collection and curation of over 300 oral history stories from individuals in neighbourhoods all over Vancouver. Although this project had a much larger scale and scope than I anticipated, the presenter offered some great instruction on how to develop a community oral history project with a smaller scale and budget as well. Pending community interest, I believe a project like this could be a fantastic approach to encouraging local content creation, a way to showcase our local history resources, and a chance to deepen partnerships with community groups, such as the very active Glencoe Historical Society. The panel presentations I attended— “Community Led Libraries: Where have we been and where are we headed?,” “Open for All: Service with Empathy and Safety,” and “Leadership Perspectives from Outside Libraries” – revealed an array of strategies for making library services more inclusive and increasing the social impact of our services, while also maintaining safety in our spaces. Some simple, key takeaways included: 1.) Approach new partnership with the sole goal of building trust, nurturing relationships, and listening – do not start out thinking of your own project or program goals; February 12, 2019 Page 8 of 13 C 12 - Library Info 2.) Use an empathy-led approach - imagine marginalized people in the library space and consider what small actions you can do to make that space more welcoming to those people; 3.) Take time to communicate and train staff especially in situations of culture shift. Finally, a session I found particularly inspiring was “Beyond the Walls: Using Tech to Expand Horizons,” which highlighted two outreach programs for two different kinds of confined populations: a virtual reality program for seniors in long-term care, and a story- by-mail program for prisoners in a correctional facility. Through partnerships, I believe both of these programs are replicable in our own system. Jean Moir – Interim Child & Youth Librarian “A Guide to Self-Care in the Workplace” This session was presented by Cole Fawcett the Community Resource Worker at Hamilton Public Library who has a background in social services previously working in shelters, addiction centres, and housing services. For the past four years he has brought his skills to Hamilton Public Library in the Community Resource position established in partnership with Wesley. This program sparked my interest because I wanted to hear about what components are important to consider when creating a self-care plan. Cole began the session by drawing our attention to the mental health continuum model that explains a healthy, reacting, injured, and ill mental state. From this his presentation focused on three areas: self-awareness, empathy and boundaries. Cole explained how we can manage self-care in the workplace through these three areas. For self-awareness it’s important to be in tune to what may be behind the thoughts and emotions we’re experiencing. Another component of this is reflecting on the value of our work including beliefs, morals, and experiences. Cole explained the differences between offering empathy vs sympathy when working with patrons. He taught us that by taking an empathetic approach to customer service through focusing on understanding the individual—their choices and why they make them and their freedom to do so we focus on connecting the patron to the necessary resources and how the library can assist them. When we take a sympathetic approach to customer service we’re feeling for the patron and therefore can be drawn into another person’s potential trauma, and increase our own risk. Sometimes sympathy can prevent us from engaging in the situation because we get to a point of being caught in the emotions such as feeling “It was so sad. I didn’t know what to do” and are unable to focus on moving the patron forward by connecting them to library resources and services. Cole also touched on the importance of professional boundaries when interacting with patrons since often when a staff member provides an unreasonable expectation to a patron it eventually becomes unsustainable within the organization. Cole explained that library staff can help to prevent burnout through self-awareness, empathy, and boundaries. His presentation concluded with an example of how to February 12, 2019 Page 9 of 13 C 12 - Library Info create a self-care plan. He stressed that self-care isn’t something you just do once a week or once a day but that each day there needs to be daily activities within your routine that help keep you centred all day long and that self-care needs to be a daily habit to be most effective. This session has encouraged me to reflect on my own daily self-care habits and recognize the need to extend my self-care habits throughout the day and not to just focus on them at the beginning of the day. Other sessions that I attended include: • Careers Spotlight: Melissa Nightingale • Transformative Leadership: Manifesting More in the Workplace • Extended Access Service Model: Leveraging Technology, in Rural Libraries • How to Implement a Workplace Mental Health System in Your Library • Overdose Prevention and Response and Libraries: A Panel Discussion • Keeping Your Customers Safe: A Public Library Security Table • Social Workers in the Public Libraries: Better Serving the Needs of Vulnerable Populations • Community Led, Library Service: Where Have We Been and Where Are We Headed? • From Partnerships to Coalitions: How Communities Can Tackle Low School Readiness Leigh Robinson – Lucan Branch Supervisor I attended the full conference this year. During this time, I participated in 11 sessions, attended 3 keynote speaker presentations, and sought out the latest in trends and technology by attending the Expo. The focus for my choice of sessions were leadership skills and support for upcoming programs for branch or system as a whole. Although I was able to find great value in all sessions, I found several of them to be particularly relevant or helpful within my position as the Supervisor of a Comprehensive Branch. “Transformative Leadership: Manifesting More in the Workplace” led by Kisha Allen of Beyond Motivation LLC led a fascinating presentation regarding the changing face of the work force from Baby Boomers to Gen X. As a Human Resources specialist, her interest is in ensuring happy, productive workplaces. She explained that multiple generations have varying ideals, and that with the retirement of the Baby Boomer generation comes a loss of wisdom, knowledge, and expertise. As a result, leaders need to build up leaders now, and that good leaders create valuable and positive change in their teammates with an end goal of developing teammates into the next generation of leaders. She went on to explain that good leaders cause change in individuals and social systems by using every mechanism available. She suggests that leaders begin with their convictions, be patient, actually listen to their teammates, and February 12, 2019 Page 10 of 13 C 12 - Library Info engage in true conversations with teammates. True leaders teach, encourage, and build confidence every day. True leaders also embrace change with grace and patience. They are not afraid of the discomfort which can sometimes occur with change, but are selfless in their championship of change. Ms. Allen’s presentation was an inspirational, extremely beneficial lesson on leading and creating new leaders. As a way to further support the Healthy Kids Community Challenge initiative, I also attended “The Edible Library” hosted by Susan Thompson and Patrick Cychner from Burlington Public Library. Both facilitators were Programmers in their home system. Mr. Cychner comes from a tech background, and Ms. Thompson’s background is biology. Together with a community partner, they created an aquaponic system within their library space. Their system is a hydroponic system used to grow a variety of edible greens, with the addition of fish (Tilapia), creating a symbiotic relationship between the two. This program is beneficial on several levels. The symbiosis between the fish and plant material teaches their patrons about the cycle of increased bacteria levels from the fish increasing the nitrogen levels required by the plant material. The plant material then utilize and clean the nitrogen levels from the water. Tilapia are used, rather than other species of fish, because they are a hardier variety and can be harvested as another food source. The fish are kept in the library until they are approximately 3-5 inches long, then they are shared with a local high school’s culinary course to be “grown out” into a food size. A variety of greens are also grown, such as mint, sorrel, and kale. Plants are harvested every other week, then bagged and set out to be shared with patrons. This project also addresses the issues of food literacy, food security, and food sovereignty within the Burlington community. Food literacy assists patrons with understanding the impact of food choices on their health, environment, and economy. Food security is described as having access to the food the community needs, when they need it, and in proper amounts. Certain populations within the community are disproportionately represented as food insecure, and this program hopes to address those issues. Food sovereignty is described as allowing the community to take responsibility for their own food to be grown and consumed, to grow food for year-round access, and allows for a democratic food system. Other benefits of this program include environmental literacy (understanding the aquaponic environment, and assessing plant and fish health), physical literacy (physical aspects of maintaining the gardens), informational literacy (researching plants, fish, food, etc), and traditional literacy (basic math, logical thinking, planning, and reasoning skills). This presentation was a fascinating look at a forward thinking program which could be recreated on a smaller scale within the MCL system. Additional sessions attended were; “Libraries: Not About Books Anymore. Are We Serious?”, “Extended Access Service Model: Leveraging Technology in Rural Libraries”, “It’s Always Been Done That Way: Re-Thinking Library Leadership in Small Libraries”, February 12, 2019 Page 11 of 13 C 12 - Library Info “Transforming Your Library into a STEAM Learning Hub Through Camps”, “Surfin’ Seniors: The PSPL Little Program That Could!”, “ Developing Library Leaders”, “Social Workers in the Public Libraries: Better Serving the Needs of Vulnerable Populations”, “Speed Dating with the Dewey Divas and Dudes Book Clubs”, and “Community Led Library Service: Where Have We Been and Where Are We Headed”. I also attended keynote speakers Micah White, Robyn Doolittle, and “The Debaters Live!”. The OLA Super Conference is an amazing, inspiring event, and I would like to thank Middlesex County Library and the Library Board for making this wonderful opportunity available to me. Kathryn Suffoletta – Dorchester Branch Supervisor Thoughts on sessions I attended: “Keynote” Robin Doolittle, Journalist, topic: 20 month investigation called Unfounded. The speaker explained through facts, figures, clips of interviews and anecdotal reports, how her awarding winning series in the Globe and Mail prompted a national overhaul of sexual assault policy and practices. A very timely topic presented by an engaging speaker. “Surfin’ Seniors” by Parry Sound Public Library. Surfin’ Seniors is an award winning program of computer classes for Seniors in the community. In addition to the topics presented by the Library Staff, they partnered with the OPP for an Internet Safety class, Royal Bank for online banking and a local computer shop for a class on social media. The presentation was thorough, and of interest since my Staff and I are often asked if we offer computer classes. I think that it would fill a need in the Dorchester community. “How Retail is the Library?” by Mark Asberg, Calgary Public Library. This session was packed full of information on how libraries can emulate the best retail practices to build relationships, create amazing moments and provide remarkable experiences for library users. Judging from my copious notes, there was lots that I found noteworthy in his presentation. “Going, Almost Gone, Gone: Tips on Managing Your Late Career Employees and Helping them to Manage Retirement” by Bill Winegard & Dan Carnegie, MROO. On a personal level, I identified with the subject matter of this session. It was informative and thought provoking. “Serving LGBTQ+ Youth in Your Community: Steps to Getting Started” by Lisa Portelli, Milton PL & Manda Kiley, Positive Space Network. This session was very well presented and very relevant. The steps that libraries can take to support LGBTQ+ youth involve staff training, developing Rainbow Collections, making community connections and creating positive spaces where all youth feel welcome and accepted. February 12, 2019 Page 12 of 13 C 12 - Library Info “Music of Your Life” by Arnprior Public Library. This program was inspired by a documentary entitled Alive Inside. Seniors in a local nursing home were provided their own playlist based on their music preference. The details of the program were presented and the way in which the program spread to other groups in the community. It is now also offered on a limited basis to all library patrons, which got me thinking that maybe it could become part of our portable tech collection. Doug Warnock – Parkhill Branch Supervisor “How Libraries and Librarians can Champion Mental Health: Public Services, Collection Initiatives and Working with Individuals in Distress”. The first session I attended looked at providing a needs-based approach to library service. The goal was to move from an exclusionary model to a model of inclusion. In order to do this the presenters outlined the need for policy and procedures that foster this model and remove barriers to access. Libraries aligning with community social services to provide a well-rounded experience for patrons who have new and diverse reasons for accessing service was a common theme throughout the conference. One of the important take-aways from this session was providing staff training in de- escalating situations. Learning the signs of an interaction about to escalate, and being equipped with the tools to help avoid situations getting to this point, was stressed as a new competency staff need to be equipped with in a changing library environment. 90 second exercise- The presenters had us complete an exercise which illustrated how being silent for 90 seconds allowed the other person to work through whatever they were dealing with. In pairs we completed the exercise and it was plain to see that talking for 90 seconds, uninterrupted, actually felt strange and the person speaking ran out of things to say. This was a great take-away tool to add to the toolbox for de-escalating situations. “A Guide to Self-Care in the Workplace”. I enjoyed this session because it complimented the previous session I mentioned. It is important to develop the tools to navigate more complex interactions with patrons, but we must also empower our staff and ourselves to practice good self-care. The presenter outlined a model to strengthen our understanding of empathy, and to recognize the difference between it and sympathy. Our frontline staff often struggle with creating boundaries between themselves and patrons’, many of who they are regularly interacting with. The presenter described the difficulties that can arise when clear boundaries are not set between the personal and professional. The session concluded with an overview of a template he has developed to help instruct staff. I found this tool useful to visualize the daily plan the presenter was alluding to, and I plan to complete my own self-care outline. “Developing Library Leaders”. The third session I will highlight interested me because of a very specific piece of knowledge I was able to gain. The discussion in this session February 12, 2019 Page 13 of 13 C 12 - Library Info centred on a training platform put in place for the librarians in the system. The training sought to improve staff competencies in key tasks including: report writing, facilitating panels, adaptive learning, and program evaluation. The work was done in groups that partnered staff from various stages in their career to complete learning objectives as a team. The discussion of this was very interesting, however, I had a chance to speak with the presenters following this session and they connected me to the resources they used to work through the facilitator training. This was a timely discussion for me to be a part of, because it will aid me in an upcoming partnership with the Rainbow Optimist providing an LGBTQ+ discussion panel which I will be the facilitator for.