thank you our people - Ajax Public Library

2014
www.ajaxlibrary.ca
Thank You
Our People
The Library is grateful for the many individuals,
community organizations and local businesses
that have supported us throughout the year.
Awards &
accomplishments
This support has allowed us to enhance the
programs and services we offer to the community.
Donna Bright
Laura Da Re & Phill White
service recognition
We have dedicated employees who are
committed to providing outstanding
service to our customers.
In 2014, these employees were
recognized for service milestones:
Patricia Fisher
Rita Coletti – 10 years
Karen Fisher-Baird
Suzanne George – 10 years
Cathy Fitzsimmons
Joel Sutherland – 10 years
Cindy Poon
Kim Treftlin – 10 years
Marilyn Temple
Conrad Choi – 15 years
Michael French
Raj Ameerally – 20 years
Karen Thomas
Sandy Clyne-Barrass – 25 years
Tina Thompson
Eleanor May – 25 years
Report to the Community
friend of health award
Staff member, Joel Sutherland, was
presented with the “Durham Region
Friend of Health” award for his work
with the Stand Up For youth coalition
and for all of the amazing work he
does with teens.
Diversity & immigration
Champion
We were the first organization in the
Region to be recognized as a “Diversity
and Immigration Champion”, for our
commitment to making Durham
Region a more inclusive community.
Best Buy Ajax
Boston Pizza Ajax
Cupcakes Canada
Friends of the Ajax Public Library
Branch locations
Ontario Power Generation
Main Branch
55 Harwood Avenue South
Pickering Village Ice Cream Shoppe
PineRidge Arts Council
Royal Bank of Canada
TD Canada Trust
McLean Branch
95 Magill Drive
Village Branch
58 Church Street North
AjaxPublicLibrary
www.ajaxlibrary.ca
@ajax_library
Ajax Public Library
Ajax Library
Report to the Community
Community
Leadership
T
he Library continues to evolve
with the needs of residents
and remains a community leader.
Our mission is to be “the gateway to
information and resources” to meet
the “educational and social needs” of
residents.
To help us achieve this mission, we
listen to the community through our
partnerships, advisory groups, and
customer feedback. Based on what
we hear through these channels,
we align the Library’s priorities with
the community’s needs. This report
highlights just some of the great things
we’ve done in 2014 based on what
the community told us.
2015 - 2018 Library Board Members:
Back row (L to R): Matthew Tapscott, Jamil Ahsan
(Vice Chair), Phill White (Chair), Dani Goraichy,
Nicole Baker, Natasha Hasham.
Front Row (L to R): Marilyn Crawford (Council
Representative), Faizal Khan, Avril Alleyne.
The four-year term of the 2011-2014
Board ended in December and a new
Board held its first meeting in January.
I want to say thank you to the previous
Board for all they accomplished in the
past four years. I’m looking forward
to working with this new Board and
planning for a great 2015 and beyond!
Phill White
Thank you to the Friends
of the Ajax Public Library
W
e said a bittersweet goodbye
to the Friends of the Ajax
Public Library in 2014.
Over the past 20 years, their
contributions greatly enhanced the
Library’s services and resources
provided to the community.
Through their commitment, they served
as outstanding ambassadors for the
Library. They helped staff to put a
Millie
82 years old
AAkriti
16 years old
Message from the
Board Chair
friendly ‘face’ to the Library, and for that
we are grateful.
Their contributions will live on in the
community for a very long time.
Highlights
“The library
is my quiet
getaway.”
“I don’t
feel left out
anymore.”
I’ve been a member of the Teen
Advisory Council for three years. I
stumbled upon the TAC group by
accident after volunteering for the
Summer Reading Club. But I’m glad
I did. I’ve always been shy, but being
involved with TAC has forced me out
of my comfort zone, allowed me to
interact with new people and helped
me with my public speaking.
If I didn’t have the library, I would be
lost. I didn’t want to leave this earth
not having learned to use a computer.
But my family discouraged me from
trying. I found out I could get lessons
at the library, and thanks to the
wonderful staff and volunteers, I can
now send email and pictures, I can use
YouTube, and I can talk to my sister in
Yugoslavia on Skype.
While I often go to the library for
a quiet place to study and do
homework, I also love going there
just to read. My house can be noisy
sometimes, and the library is my quiet
getaway.
I don’t feel left out anymore. I used to
feel like I lived in a different world. But
I don’t anymore. And I’m so happy to
learn new things.
Service
Enhancements
Programs &
Resources
We revised policies to remove barriers
for customers accessing our materials
and services, including:
Hoopla is a new service that allows
customers to download or live-stream
movies, music, audiobooks and TV
shows on a PC or mobile device.
Changes in identification
requirements for new memberships
and renewals
Increased renewals on checked out
items
We improved the labelling of our large
print and audiobook collections to
meet accessibility needs.
We introduced new Circulation and
Information Desks at our Main Branch,
providing customers with a more
visible staff presence and more space
when they visit the service desks.
We launched a library card just for kids
called My Curiosity Card, encouraging
kids to look to the library for answers
to all of their many questions.
Craft Show and Tell was an event
held to showcase seniors’ talent and
creativity. Participants demonstrated
everything from scrapbooking, to
stamp collecting, and wool spinning to
woodworking. The event was a great
success and will be hosted again in
2015.
Multilingual and Multicultural
programs were added to meet the
needs of our growing community,
including:
For Adults - French Conversation
Circle and a Bilingual Job Fair
For Kids - Le Club Français (French
Storytime), Viva Los Libros (Spanish
Storytime) and Tamil Reading Circle