*For Board Members and Trustees

Why do public libraries exist in our communities? Looking beyond book lending, public libraries are apolitical institutions and bastions of democracy.  As struggles of our vulnerable and marginalized community members come into sharper focus, we must take this time to understand and embrace the pivotal role the public libraries can play in leading us towards a more just, inclusive, and sustainable society.

The boards of public libraries can catalyze this process by recalibrating governance practices and policies to ensure no one is left behind.  We look forward to continuing this series of conversations and having deep and impactful discussions that examine best practices to ensure public library boards are representative of their communities.

OLBA, as the centre of excellence in governance of public library boards in Ontario, is hosting this conversation for our members through the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) committee.  Our aim is to create a space to listen, share our learnings, ask questions, inspire connections, and support our members as we all forge a path towards a more just, inclusive, and sustainable society.  Our hope is to foster a learning community of our peers where we can come together regularly to share and learn.

Hosted by OLBA

Facilitators:

S. Ahmad, Waterloo Public Library, Board Member

Joanna Kocsis, Lincoln Public Library, Board Member

John Pateman, Thunder Bay Public Library, CEO