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MONDAY

All locations are open today from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

TUESDAY

All locations are open today from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

All locations are open today from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

THURSDAY

All locations are open today from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

FRIDAY

All locations are open today from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

SATURDAY

All locations are open today from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

SUNDAY

Central Library is open today from 1-5 p.m. All community libraries are closed.

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We envision a future where growth never stops – where we continually evolve our work to meet tomorrow’s needs and where everyone uses the library throughout their life to enhance their wellbeing. 

Who We Are

Kitchener Public Library’s role is to advance an enriched, caring, and inclusive future for our city. To do that, we develop lifelong opportunities for growth that improve wellbeing. 

Those opportunities inspire people and communities of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to: 

  • actively learn and create 
  • connect with new ideas and each other, and  
  • cultivate a more just and equitable society  

We’re optimistic that one day everyone in Kitchener will use and value the library as an essential service that enhances their lives.  

Our strategic choices

Our three strategic choices will guide our work for the next four years and support each other’s success. They’re based on community and partner feedback, the experiences of our library team, and well-recognized global and local research on wellbeing.

Drive Intentional Impact

Strengthen how we support people by evolving our work and sharing stories of impact.  

We’ll make this happen through these actions:

  • Plan services to support recognized wellbeing outcomes  
  • Further the use of data to analyze work and support decision-making
  • Elevate the understanding and perception of the role of the library 

Be a Caring Organization

Be thoughtful and proactive in how we work to care for Kitchener Public Library team members, the city, and the planet. 

We’ll make this happen through these actions: 

  • Grow team wellbeing and belonging 
  • Explore new opportunities to support service enhancements while maintaining financial sustainability 
  • Improve preparedness to support tomorrow’s needs 

Learn and Create Together

Enhance our ability to collaboratively and continuously improve experiences and reduce inequities for everyone at the library. 

We’ll make this happen through these actions: 

  • Address barriers by designing more inclusive and equitable services and policies 
  • Advance how we collect, analyze, share, and respond to feedback 
  • Enhance and adopt digital experiences and tools 

Our values

Our values reflect the principles that guide our work. They express our commitment to each other and the community.

We are Empathetic

Empathy shows we care. The time we take to learn and appreciate different perspectives leads to more welcoming and equitable experiences, a more inclusive library, and more respect for each other. 

We are Courageous

Courage fuels our impact. We encourage creativity and new ideas. We also value critical thinking and proudly defend intellectual freedom as a cornerstone of a healthy democracy.  

We are adaptable

Our team is our greatest strength, and their adaptability keeps us relevant. We trust each other to make responsible decisions, quickly and effectively, and to evolve our work to continue to improve and respond to change. 

Our planning process

The strategic planning process took place over an 18-month period with engagement with our stakeholders including library members, community members, staff, management and Library Board members. 

Here’s how we connected with you: 

  • Community survey with 4,003 responses  
  • Focus groups with 73 participants in eight sessions 
  • Staff engagement survey 
  • Library Board and senior management engagement sessions