Kitchener Public Library - Pioneer Park Community Library

BRANCH PROFILE

The Pioneer Park Community Library sprang to life as a stationary Bookmobile open 3 days a week, grew into a plaza storefront service in 1982, and since 1989 shares an expanded local presence in a building complex with the Doon Pioneer Park Community Centre.

The branch library enjoys a mutually supportive relationship with the Doon Pioneer Park Community Association by participating in community events, partnering in programs and receiving funds from the Association.

The boundary for the library runs from Highway 401 to the south, Highway 8 to the east, and the western City limits. Within this area, the residential community has successfully backed and volunteered time to projects such as the library as well as the community centre, fire station, heritage trails, and environmentally sensitive locales.

Community Library Services

KPL provides a full suite of collections and services available at all community library locations. Community Libraries respond to community specific information needs through relevant collections, programming and services.

The focus of this program is to promote family reading through book ownership particularly for children of economically disadvantage families. Children, up to the age of 14, can visit the Pioneer Park Library with an adult in the month of their birthday, and make a free selection of a book that is then theirs to keep. This special collection is stocked with approximately 300 books including fiction, non-fiction, picture books and board books.

The program, which began on September 8, 1989 on World Literacy Day, has expanded to approximately 15 centres throughout the Region of Waterloo. Children’s author, Barbara Smucker, is its honourary Chairperson.

Funding for this program is through the summer Read-a-Thon fundraiser organized by CODA and through the generous donations of individuals or organizations (Zehrs tapes, new books or cash donations). Tax receipts are issued for amounts of $10.00 or more.`

KPL joins CODA (Community Opportunities Development Association), Doon Pioneer Park Community Centre and Association in sponsoring this site program.

Teachers, Day Care providers and Home Schoolers are welcome to book a time for their charges to visit the library. Children will be introduced to what the library has to offer and will enjoy a special story time and a tour of the Branch.

In June, KPL programming staff are also available to go out to schools to promote our Summer Reading Club and summer programs.

To find out more or to book a class visit, please contact our children's programmer, Clare Pattison, at 743-0644.

Pioneer Park Community Library customers can enjoy free parking at any time of day in our shared parking lot with the Doon Pioneer Park Community Centre.

Thanks to a generous donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Urban Community Access Program, the Pioneer Park Community Library is able to offer PC workstations available for use by the public.

Three Windows XP workstations have the following software: Office Professional XP including WORD, Excel, Power Point, Publisher as well as Internet Explorer version 6.

Bookable up to 48 hours in advance for a one hour session, Netloan bookings may be made by calling the library, online at www.kpl.org, or using the Netloan link on a bookable terminal. Printing is $.15 per page (black and white) or $1.00 per page for colour plus tax.

If you would like to learn the basics of Internet searching, call the branch to arrange a one-to-one instructional session with one of our trained Internet Volunteers.

To find out more information, book computer use time or to request an instructional session, please call 748-2740.

Kids are invited to explore the world of CD-ROM technology with our KIDTECH Centres. Exciting interactive CD-ROM stories and learning games for preschoolers and up are available to use in the Children's areas at all KPL locations.

KIDTECH is available during the Library's regular open hours and 1/2 time slots may be reserved 24 hours in advance (or less, subject to availability). Bookings are made on the half hour in person or by calling the KPL location nearest you!

Pioneer Park subscribes to The K-W Record, The Globe and Mail and The Toronto Star dailies with two weeks of back issues available. A similar number of issues are kept for two circulating International Newspapers the Singapore Lianhe Zoobao-Chinese and the Columbian El Colombiano.

Adults, children and teens will find something of interest from our selection of over 45 magazines. With the exception of the current issue, all magazines circulate for 7 days with one renewal. A selection of Canadian Online Magazines is yours to discover as well.

Enjoy a collection of recreational and educational toys suitable for babies through to preschoolers! Available for a 1 week loan, KPL's TOYS TO GO includes adaptive toys for children with special needs, puzzles and a wonderful collection of novelty pop-up books, plus a range of popular toys recommended by the Canadian Toy Testing Council.

TOYS TO GO is open in the Children's Department's Family Resource Centre at the Main Library and the Pioneer Park Community Library, during regular library hours. Toys are available on a first come, first served basis and there is a borrowing limit of 3 toys per location.

Our collection of toys is maintained by KPL's volunteer staff. The volunteers provide support for this service at the Main Library as well as at Pioneer Park Community Library. If you are interested in contributing a few hours of your time, visit our Volunteer Services site for details on how you can help the parents and children of our community!

The Pioneer Park Community Library provides a variety of volunteer opportunities for teens and adults. For more information or to apply to become a volunteer, visit our Volunteer Services page click here.