The Library … a traditional Cornerstone of the Community
Libraries have long been one of the key pillars of a healthy community. A place of study, learning, refection, awareness, understanding and inspiration. A place to gather together, exchange ideas and find answers to the questions of the day … and the days to come. At the very heart of it, libraries provide a sense of possibility and place for gathering, connecting, learning and growing … individually and together..
Recent studies show that there are over 100 million library visits each year in Canada, almost on par with the number of individuals that went to the movies and over twenty times more than those who attend a NHL game. Two out of three Canadians have a library card and over half visit their
public library annually.A lifeline to the world and all the information in it, some still hold the view that libraries are passive places filled with only books – the place of last resort for information when all else fails online. Nothing could be further from the truth. Unlike countless industries and markets that have been significantly disrupted by technological advances, libraries across Canada and around the world have demonstrated a tremendous ability to adapt. They have increased offerings to patrons through virtual catalogues and visits, electronic circulations, Wi-Fi use and community programming, thus expanding their role as unique and valuable community resource and as significant community centres in the communities they serve.
In a world where so many talk about the transition to the digital world, the library’s efforts to change and adapt means a focus on making the greatest human impact possible.
At the heart of every Library are people and a place where a diverse community can gather to find resources and connections. Individuals and families, students and professionals, young and old, wealthy and those less fortunate, EVERY MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY is welcome and can count on the library to provide valuable resources to help people succeed and answers they can’t otherwise find to questions that matter to them.
