About The Library

Welcome to KPL!

The Kitchener Public Library strives to connect the community to a world of imagination, information and discovery, through its collections and services.

Here, you will find everything you need to know about the library, including its history, mission, and plans for the future.

You can also read about the library's many services for those with physical limitations who find it difficult to use the library, and those who are unable to come to the library.

Please feel free to contact us at (519) 743-7502 or email askus@kpl.org if you have any questions about our collections, policies, or services.

My Library Story -- Joe Pavia

“I applaud Kitchener Public Library for maintaining a link to the past and to the staff and volunteers who have worked so hard to preserve our local history.”

-- Joe Pavia, News Director, 570 News

Afew years ago, what started out as a quick trip to the library ended up as a five-year journey…

It all began in KPL’s Grace Schmidt Room of Local History. I wanted to find out who had owned my 1930’s home in the past. However, once I got started, I became completely fascinated. There was so much information available! I decided to put everything I learned into an essay, complete with stories and photographs.

Vernon Directories revealed the name of who owned my house each year and where “the man of the house” worked. This led me to archived photographs and newspaper stories on microfiche. It turns out that sixteen families lived in my house from 1930 until 1997, when my wife and I moved in. For some it was a starter home, while for others it was their forever home.

I decided to personally contact some of the people I’d met “on paper” in the library. To this day I keep in touch with a niece of Harry and Anne Levene, who lived in our home from 1945 to 1958. Their niece Shirley Yates spent summers with her favourite aunt and uncle. She and her cousin Jack have shared some touching stories and photographs.

Harry started the Levene Die Company which later became Ledco. I discovered more about his company in the library’s local business archives. Other owners included executives from Schneiders and Onward Manufacturing Company (which later became TA Appliances) and the first manager of the newly built Capitol Movie Theatre. I was able to glean insight into their lives from the historical records of these community leaders.

My research at KPL has helped me to connect with my neighbours, as there are many seniors who live in my area. I met Emil Schnarr, who built many of the neighbourhood homes. Although he didn't build my home, he knew who did and was able to tell me more about the builder. I also met Jean MacPhail, who showed me a picture of herself as a baby in 1931, with our house in the background, then a similar photo taken 65 years later. Both have now passed away, and I feel fortunate to have met them.

The Grace Schmidt Room of Local History at KPL is like a time machine. You can get lost in that room for hours, looking at photos and reading the old papers and documents from the Waterloo Historical Society. I was even able to get a quote for my essay from former KCI teacher Ed Devitt, whose voice I heard on the Oral History Tapes. Hearing voices from another time was mesmerizing.

I applaud Kitchener Public Library for maintaining a link to the past and to the staff and volunteers who have worked so hard to preserve our local history.

Joe can be heard co-anchoring all news afternoons on 570 NEWS radio. When not working, Joe enjoys playing the trumpet, watching NCAA football and spending time with his wife and two children.

Do you have a story like Joes?

We would love to share your library story with the community. If the library has touched your life in a meaningful way, please take a moment to let us know about it. Your story may be an inspiration to others!

Please send your story to:

Dale Dyce
Coordinator, Marketing and Communications
Kitchener Public Library
85 Queen Street North
Kitchener, ON
N2H 2H1

Or email to dale.dyce@kpl.org

My Library Story -- Elena Matusa

"I couldn’t have passed the Canadian Medical Council exam without the

services of the library.”

-- Elena Matusa, medical doctor from Romania and recent immigrant to Kitchener

From the time she was a little girl in Romania, Elena Matusa knew she wanted to be a doctor. She worked very hard to get through medical school and, after receiving the highest mark in Romania on the entrance exams, realized her dream of becoming a doctor in Romania.

But after the first year of her residency, Elena began to feel discouraged. She observed that other colleagues seemed to be moving ahead based on who they knew rather than the quality of their work and commitment. After much soul searching and research, Elena and her husband, also a doctor, decided to bring their compassion for medicine to Canada.

Unfortunately for Elena, her doctor credentials were not recognized here in Canada, and after realizing her dream in Romania, Elena would need to start again.

Like many New Canadians in Kitchener, Elena quickly discovered that her path to a new future for herself and her family would begin at the library.

In fact, one of the first stops that many new Canadians make upon their arrival in Kitchener is the Kitchener Public Library - to get their own library card. For many, it’s the first library card they have ever owned. Their library card is every new immigrant’s ticket to a free collection of resources and services that help them adapt quickly to their new life in Canada.

Elena used her Kitchener Public Library membership to her advantage and spent the next several months studying in a quiet corner of KPL’s health information section to prepare for the Medical Council of Canada’s exams. With considerable effort and sacrifice, and help from the library, Elena recently passed the Medical Council of Canada’s Evaluating Exam (EE) and the Qualifying Exam (QE1).

“Some of the study resources I needed were available on the internet, but at KPL everything I needed to pass the exam was put together in one place to help me – organized, easy to access and with no distractions," says Elena. "With my family and my job, I couldn’t have passed the Canadian Medical Council exam without the services of the library”.

Elena still has additional work ahead before realizing her dream of being a doctor here in Canada, but she is now one step closer . . . and KPL will always be here to help Elena, and others like her, realize their dreams.

Here at KPL, we’re proud to share in success stories like Elena’s, and know that our services make a difference in people’s lives.