Changing Role of the Public Library

 

The role of the public library within a community is changing and the way people interact with the library and the services it offers is also changing.  The change is spurred by the need to stay relevant in meeting the needs and expectations of the community.  The public library has an exciting future.

 

Libraries are Changing and Dynamic Places:

• It is business as usual at the public library but it is a new type of business.  The quiet buildings once devoted solely to reading and research have become busy community hubs.
  
  

• Library as place remains important.  The building has always served many purposes, but since housing the collection was far and away the most important one, many people saw it as the only one.  Today we pay more attention to all the other evolving roles of the library as a learning centre, a hub of the community, as a critical destination and meeting place.  There is an increasing realization that the building and space of the library is important in ways not before articulated which depend on the library as a physical place.
  
  

• Public libraries are not just book depots but gathering places.  Space once used for stacks of books is being reallocated to make room for people to sit, meet, and socialize.
  
  

• The public library is increasingly filling a role as a community ‘third place’. The concept of ‘third place’ is an idea that people like to gather and spend time at a location other than work or home.  The public library as a distinctive informal gathering place that makes people feel at home and helps to create a sense of place and community, a welcoming ‘third place’.
  
  

• Modern libraries transcend their archival responsibilities and function as places for learning and community interaction.
  
  

• A Plan for a Healthy Kitchener (2007 – 2027) states “for a community to adequately meet the needs of its residents, members of the community must interact with each other, exchange information, become engaged and work together.”  The public library is a place for the community to meet, exchange information, and to become engaged.
  
  

• Libraries are places where people connect, not just with books and computers, but with other people.
  
  

• Libraries cannot effectively deliver services, retain existing users or attract new users without providing at least a minimum amount of facility space to fulfill an expanded role as community gathering centres and technology hubs.
  
  

• Library 2.0 is a model of library service that attempts to reach new users and better serve current ones through improved customer-driven offerings.  Library 2.0 puts the user at the heart of all library services by: embracing change, empowering users, making information available wherever the users requires it, involving users and incorporating community input.  The 2007 Kitchener Public Library Central Library Service Plan embraces the Library 2.0 approach to library service.

 

Libraries are Balancing Tradition with Innovation:

• In answer to the question “What’s Next?” A Plan for a Healthy Kitchener (2007 – 2027) talks about “a city that balances tradition with innovation”.  Libraries face the same challenge.
  
  

• The concept of library as just a place for books is long gone.  The public library celebrates and honours books and reading while also providing the latest technology and access to the digital world of information.
  
  

• The traditional library is not about to disappear at the expense of new library technology.
  
  

• The role of the librarian in navigating, providing guidance and training in information seeking, and resource evaluation remains critical in an information age.
  
  

• Libraries cater to a wide diversity of information needs and a demand for a mix of traditional and non-traditional public information services.
  
  

• Public libraries remain deeply committed to reading, literacy and lifelong learning.  The new public library has expanded its role to include access to digital information and technology, and to serve as a new community cultural centre.

 

Libraries are Places of Opportunity:

• In today’s knowledge economy, a high quality of life is necessary to attract and retain workers; libraries play an important role in providing access to information, technology and community space that contributes to quality of life.
  
  

• The Internet and other media is a big draw for the public library.  Those who cannot afford the Internet at home come to the library.  In a society worried about the digital divide, libraries help to level the playing field.
  
  

• Public libraries are often the largest provider of free Internet and computer access in a community.
  
  

• A Plan for a Healthy Kitchener (2007 – 2027) identifies a vision for Kitchener as “a multicultural community in which different ethnic groups are encouraged to retain their cultures and lifestyles”.  Libraries are valued community resources for New Canadians wanting to bridge two cultures through access to resources in their native language and through free and open access to the vast resources, services and technology offered at the public library.
  
  

• Public libraries expand services and programs through community partnerships that enhance and expand the quality of service offered to the community.

 

A Public Library’s Contribution to the Community

Education and Learning

• Support lifelong learning by fostering the ongoing process of learning and developing new skills outside of the formal education system
  
  

• Play a unique supporting role for educational institutions by supplementing the resources of the school library, providing study space, and offering evening and weekend hours

 

Literacy

• Support reading and numeracy skills for children and adults
  
  

• Offer English as a second language services including resources, conversational circles, and tutoring space
  
  

• Provide technology and information literacy through access to computers and the Internet and through instruction increased competency in utilizing the technology

 

Culture and Recreation

• Offer resources, programs and services to occupy leisure time
  
  

• Develop and foster a place of community culture

 

Business and the Economy

• Provide business information services to local businesses
  
  

• Source of information and support for the new entrepreneur
  
  

• Contribute to the quality of life in a community
  
  

• Support local retail operations by attracting customers
  
  

• Support tourism as a destination place

 

Personal Support

• Provide information to assist community residents with decision-making by providing affordable, accessible, reliable and confidential information
  
  

• Connect people with government information and services
  
  

• Support career development and the search for employment
  

 

Community Development

• Focus for social interaction in the community by providing a safe and comfortable environment where members of the community meet and interact
  
  

• Contribute to residents’ satisfaction with the community as a place to live
  
  

• Keep residents informed and involved in community affairs by providing access to community information and links to other agencies and services
  
  

• Source of information and services to a wide range of community groups through resources and meeting spaces
  
  

• Support for cultural identity and diversity for New Canadians

 

What the New Public Library Offers

How does this changing role translate into services?  The new public library is a destination where a wide array of services awaits people of all ages.  It is more than just books:

 

• Walk into the library building or access your online library from home
  
  

• Place a reserve on a forthcoming title
  
  

• Borrow a book, DVD, CD, magazine, or toy
  
  

• View book jacket covers in the catalogue or read a book review online
  
  

• Research your family tree using an electronic database
  
  

• Check your e-mail
  
  

• Plug in your laptop and use the library’s free wireless Internet access
  
  

• Create a PowerPoint presentation in the library’s computer lab
  
  

• Download an audio book to your MP3 player
  
  

• Join an ESL conversation circle to improve your English
  
  

• Submit your manuscript and receive feedback from the library’s Author in Residence
  
  

• Bring your children to library story time
  
  

• Enter your photographs in the library’s Photography Contest
  
  

• Enjoy reading the latest newspapers from around the world in the library reading lounge
  
  

• Join a library Book Club or Summer Reading Club
  
  

• Volunteer your time at the library
  
  

• Book a meeting room to host your community event
  
  

• Work on homework in a group study room or get help in the Homework Centre
  
  

• Find information with the assistance of trained staff
  
  

• Update your resume and job hunting skills with career centre resources
  
  

• Watch a movie, attend a lecture or view art displays

 

 

"A public library is not just a warehouse of books. It is a community place
where people gather to learn, share, listen and be heard."  - Dan Carli, Chair, KPL Board

 

 

Our Mission

 

Kitchener Public Library connects the community to a world of imagination, information, and discovery.
We respond to community needs, embrace innovation, and value our customers, staff, volunteers and partners.
KPL Strategic Plan 2009 - 2012

 

 

Visit the Kitchener Public Library website