On July 24, 2020, the Kitchener Public Library Board (Library Board) unanimously approved the following statement recognizing the need for action and leadership in addressing systemic and structural racism.
The Library Board fully endorses the Statement on Race and Social Equity from the Canadian Urban Library Council (CULC) and the Urban Library Council (ULC) and Kitchener Public Library’s own Inclusion and Diversity Policy.
In keeping with those statements and policies, as a Board, we recognize the need for action and leadership and we commit to the following:
- Making diversity, equity and inclusion a key focus of and prioritizing anti-racism work in our upcoming strategic planning.
- Actively and intentionally recruiting and retaining board and committee members that reflect the community we serve, particularly those from Black, Indigenous and other racialized groups who are currently under- or un-represented.
- Ensuring that research, surveys, polls, conversations, focus groups and other data used as input in the strategic planning process are inclusive of our full community.
- Reviewing our existing board and governance policies with a lens to racial and social equity barriers.
- Participating in anti-racism training and actively seeking out other opportunities to learn about how we can better serve our community in matters of race and social equity.
As a Board, we acknowledge that these commitments and intentions are only a starting point. We recognize that we are likely to make mistakes as we take these steps to address systemic and structural racism. With that in mind, we are always open to feedback and we will do our best to respond to that feedback in constructive ways. We thank you for your support.
About the Library Board
Kitchener Public Library is governed by a Board composed of members of the community appointed to serve for a four-year term. The composition and responsibilities of the Board are established by Provincial legislation. Members of the public are welcome to attend and speak at Library Board meetings.
About the Kitchener Public Library
Kitchener Public Library is a hub of activity and one of the most significant community spaces in the City of Kitchener. The library boasts five locations located throughout the city; including the award-winning and recently renovated and expanded Central Library near the downtown core. The library has 102,000 active members and welcomes 1.2 million visitors each year. To learn more about Kitchener Public Library, visit kpl.org. To be the first to find out what’s happening at the library, follow @KitchLibrary on Twitter.
For additional information about this release, please contact:
Shirley Luu
Manager, Digital Marketing
Kitchener Public Library
85 Queen St. North, Kitchener, ON, N2H 2H1
Phone: 519.743.0271