FOPL Advocacy Update from Pickering Public Library
On November 5, 2018 Pickering Public Library was honoured by a visit from MPP for Pickering/Uxbridge, Peter Bethlenfalvy (pictured in the orange tie below). MPP Bethlenfalvy is also the President of Ontario’s Treasury Board. Two City Councillors who are Board members and staunch library advocates, also joined the entourage. Library staff provided the Minister with a tour of the Library Makerspace, showing him and his staff how the equipment works and sharing stories of the value that our clients have found in using the equipment for work, school, or personal development. The outgoing CEO, Cathy Grant and the incoming CEO, Tanya Sinclair emphasized the following talking points in support of public libraries:
Return on Investment i.e. $1 = $5.85 in benefits for the community
Cost efficiencies of a sharing economy with all library materials and services. Cost recovery model for products produced in the Makerspace
Financial Well-being: Libraries enable successful employment and business development through literacy and learning i.e. e-courses, internet access, makerspaces and co-working spaces that inspire and assist students, entrepreneurs, and community members in general
Update: This weekend, just one month after the tour, the MPP approached Tanya Sinclair at a community cultural event to congratulate her on her appointment to CEO. He also made a point to say thank her for enlightening him about today’s libraries. He told her that having a tour of the public library “really made a big difference”!
Pickering Public Library will continue to be advocate for libraries to all community stakeholders including our politicians by increasing our visibility and creating awareness.
Library wi-fi hotspot loan in nursing home helps caregiver son connect his aging mom in a nursing home to view her favourite band live in concert from her nursing room bed. This hotspot lending program was made possible through an Ontario government innovation grant.
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/03/05/pickering-residents-borrow-internet-with-a-library-card.html
Pickering local and library maker space user, Hamayal Choudhry is inspired at the library to create a robotic arm winning him the international Microsoft Cup competition and then landing him an internship at Tesla. Our makerspace just opened in April of this year!
Tanya Sinclair
Deputy CEO/Director of HR | Pickering Public Library
905.831.6265 ext. 6222, Cell. 416.904.8052
www.picnet.org