CONNECTIONS

Greetings once again to our valued

volunteers,

It seems like just yesterday I was writ-

ing about my croci in bloom, and the

slow, drawn-out arrival of spring. But,

that was already a full year ago, and so

much has happened during the year!

At its core, Kitchener Public Library is a community hub where

everyone belongs. It’s a place where parents can bring

children to learn, develop and enjoy new things. It’s a place

where budding musicians can learn how to record or create a

music video. Or, it’s a place where one can come to unwind

and find peace and solace.

We continue to offer exciting programs at all of our libraries,

from 3D printing and increased one-on-one tutorials, to

engaging special events in the theatre and lounge. Our Read-

ing Buddies and Homework Help programs continue to grow

each year, where our young customers not only learn to be

proficient readers and students, but often develop lasting

connections with members of the volunteer teams. Some may

ask “how does the library do it”?

The answer is simple: we are powered by our volunteers.

As our new mission statement says, Kitchener Public Library is

where “we welcome our community to engaging spaces where

people connect, ideas flourish, and lives are transformed”.

Thank you all for helping us accomplish our mission.

Mary Chevreau

Chief Executive Officer

Kitchener Public Library

VOLUNTEER NEWSLTTER APRIL 2017

Thank you for volunteering at the

Kitchener Public Library! This

newsletter has been designed

especially for you, our volunteers.

Your ideas and contributions are

always welcome.

Contact Volunteer Services at:

E: volunteer@kpl.org

T: 519.743.0271 x275

W: www.kpl.org

Stay connected!

Regular Hours

Monday - Thursday 9 - 9 pm

Friday & Saturday 9 - 5:30 pm

Sunday* 1 - 5 pm

*Central only until May 14/17

Summer Hours

Monday - Thursday 9 - 8:30 pm

Friday & Saturday 9 - 5 pm

Holiday Hours

Monday, May 22 CLOSED

Saturday, July 1 CLOSED

Monday, Aug 7 CLOSED

Monday, Sept 4 CLOSED

Monday, Oct 9 CLOSED

Our Vision

To inspire and enrich

for life.

Our Mission

We welcome our commu-

nity to engaging spaces

where people connect,

ideas flourish and lives

are transformed.

Our Goals

Work Together

Foster Belonging

Ignite Community

Conversations

Bold Leadership

Our Values

Opportunity

Great Customer Service

Partnerships

Ideas

Accessibility

Change

Sustainability

To learn more about our

Strategic Plan

2017 -2020

kpl.org/strategic-plan

National Volunteer Week

April 23 - 29, 2017

This year, we celebrate 150 years of volunteer accomplishments!

National Volunteer Week is set aside each year to acknowledge and

thank the 12.7 million volunteers across Canada for the time and

energy they contribute to causes that benefit our communities.

Each day, Kitchener Public library volunteers inspire and enrich the

lives of others. They read to children, help students with their

homework, take books to people at home, pitch in at special

events, research local history, coach job seekers, keep our shelves

organized, and chart our directions. Our library is growing strong

and making an impact because of volunteer involvement.

Congrats!

Ontario Volunteer Service Awards recognize individual volunteers

for continuous years of dedicated service to an organization.

Congrats to this year’s award recipients:

YOUTH | 2+ YEARS: B. Loree Stroeder | E. Dmitruk-Gole | M. Al-

Aoussi | T. van Vliet

5 YEARS : J. McLaren | S. Crichton

10 YEARS: C. Kaar | B. Drobot | F. Mendes | L. Reuss | R. Zettler

15 YEARS: G. Last | J. Young | J. Moulton | L. Moore-Fraser

20 YEARS: B. Holvey

30 YEARS: A. Seschel | B. MacVicar | P. MacVicar

35 YEARS: H. Meinzinger | J. Ward | N. Watt | S. Hahn

Together, these individuals donated a total of 358 years to

Kitchener Public Library. Wow!

Are You On Instagram?

Are you on Instagram? We are too. Follow us

@KitchenerLibrary, and find out what we’re up

to. Taking pictures of our beautiful spaces, your

library books, or projects you’re working on

using library resources?

Tag @KitchenerLibrary and share!

OUR

VOLUNTEERS

ROCK!

Allana Villabroza and Jessa

Grace Adloc are relatively new

to Canada, but they’re already

stepping up and making a big

difference in our community.

Both of these young women

are originally from the Philip-

pines. Allana, 19, moved here

two years ago, and Jessa, 17,

moved here just nine months

ago. Now they volunteer their

time at Central Library, work-

ing with kids in Grades 4 to 8

who are learning computer

science skills with Google CS.

Allana says volunteering has

been a learning experience for

her as well as for the kids, and

has helped her improve her

(already excellent) English

fluency. She started volunteer-

ing as a shelf reader last

summer.

“When I first came here, I didn’t

really talk to anybody,” she

says. “But this really helps me

communicate and socialize

with others, especially the

kids.”

Allana was the one who sug-

gested that Jessa, a fellow stu-

dent at Eastwood Collegiate

Institute, also volunteer at the

library.

“I like hearing the kids ask

questions and learning new

things,” Jessa says.

Emily McLaughlin, senior

library assistant and program-

mer, says Alanna and Jessa are

problem solvers and role

models in her Google CS

programs.

“The girls are new to coding,

but that didn’t slow them

down,” she says. “To make

solving problems easier, Alan-

na and Jessa asked to have the

course code so they could work

ahead of the class, and used

their phones to compare the

code they created in their own

projects with the kids’ code to

help them debug their work.

“Jessa and Alanna are always

there to give the kids applause

and high fives, and award them

their badge for the week.”

After they graduate from East-

wood, Alanna hopes to go to

Conestoga College to become

a respiratory therapist, while

Jessa wants to attend Universi-

ty of Waterloo for a degree in

biochemistry.

They both miss family and the

tropical weather back in the

Philippines (“I hate snow,” Jessa

says) but they’re beginning to

feel like Canada is their home.

“I’ll go to the Phillipines for

vacation, but I think my life is

here now, and my future,”

Alanna says.

Thank you both for volunteer-

ing with Kitchener Public

Library, and making a

difference in your community!

Top photo: Allana Villabroza

Botom photo: Jessa Grace Adloc

Article & photos by Charlotte

Prong

VOLUNTEER PROFILES: Meet Allana and Jessa Grace

After moving around the world

for four decades as an ESL

teacher and wife of a Canadian

diplomat, Barbara Campbell

knows how difficult it can be

for women to in a foreign

country to find time for them-

selves.

“I know for myself, moving

every three or four years, you

think of your children first, then

your husband, and you think of

yourself last – maybe after a

year or so,” she says.

That’s why she knew a volun-

teer opportunity as a leader of

an English Conversation Circle

for Women was the right place

for her.

The English Conversation Circle

for Women at Central Library

was originally created to help

Syrian women who came to

Waterloo Region in 2016, and

includes child-minding services

so that mothers can bring their

children.

It’s now quite a large group

that meets every week, and

includes women from lots of

different backgrounds, includ-

ing some who have moved here

while their spouses attend

school. Some of the women

have been here for 14 years,

some arrived just a few months

ago.

“It’s a large group, with

language levels all over,” Barba-

ra says. “You see a lot of happi-

ness, you see budding friend-

ships. People are free to voice

their frustrations. They have

time to think of themselves and

they realize how lonely they

are.”

Barbara, who is one of two

group leaders who works with

three volunteer assistants, says

she likes to present a newswor-

thy or culturally relevant topic,

then give the women vocabu-

lary words and common idioms.

Recently, they’ve discussed the

arrival of spring, maple syrup,

Easter, bullying, and the pros

and cons of backyard chickens.

Barbara also likes to help the

women practise pronunciation,

because the English language is

driven by emphasis on certain

syllables, unlike Japanese or

French, for instance. Frustrated

by being misunderstood, the

women have steadily improved

with two or three sessions of

learning how to stress syllables.

“I saw a lot of eyes brighten-

ing,” she says.

But perhaps more importantly,

this is a place where women

can connect with others in the

community in a friendly, social

environment.

“Many of the women have chil-

dren in school and this is their

first opportunity to get out.

They call it ‘my time,’ and it’s

fun to see,” Barbara says.

Article & photo by Charlotte Prong

Our Region Reads!

Now in its sixteenth year, the One Book One Community of Waterloo

Region announces the 2017 reading selection- all of Waterloo Region will

be on the same page reading:

Emancipation Day by Wayne Grady

Spanning pre and post war eras, this book examines family secrets, race

relations and historical events that allows the reader to realize a unique

perspective of identity and a sense of belonging from a Canadian point of

view.

Wayne Grady will be visiting Waterloo Region September 26th

to September

28th

; Kitchener reading will take place Tuesday September 26th

@ 7:00pm at

Central.

For additional information on the One Book One Community program, visit

the website: OBOC or go to the OBOC page on our website: kpl.org/oboc.

Meet Barbara Campbell

We Asked, You Answered!

We asked you what your favourite reads were over the

past year - and you responded. Favourites include new

releases, classics, non-fiction, teen novels - anything

that was read and loved! Here are some of your faves.

Click on a title or book cover to reserve your copy

now. Or check out Volunteer News on our website to

see more the titles you recommended. Here is a sneak

peek!

Meet The Dewey Divas and Dudes

Monday, May 8 @ 1pm | Central Library

Discovering new bestselling titles is usually just a click

away, but there are hundreds of books published for

every one that tops a bestseller list. How do you learn

about the hidden gems that aren’t heavily advertised?

You ask the Dewey Divas and Dudes!

Join them (and us) for an afternoon of book talking.

They represent more than 600 publishers. Typically

the Divas only present to Librarians, but this time, you

have a chance to learn about upcoming book releases

alongside us. This event is sponsored by Library

Bound. Registration required.

CANADIAN FAVES

Sweet Tooth

Ian McEwan

The Reason You Walk

Wab Kinew

A Number of Things

Jane Urquhart

This Is Not My Life

Diane Schoemperlen

The Bear and the

Nightingale

Katherine Arden

Bloom

Estee Lalonde

This Is Happy

Camilla Gibb

The Lonely Hearts

Hotel

Heather O’Neill

The Break

Katherena Vermette

They Left Us Everything

Plum Johnson

Celebrate Canada’s

150th by reading Canadian!