M Painchaud
Oakville Central Library
Oakville Central Library
Through its recently implemented strategic plan, Oakville Public Library (OPL) plans to expand its reach and emerge as a lively community hub beyond its traditional space. Many of our residents shared their feedback through a public consultation process last year to inform the drafting of the plan effective from 2022 through 2024.
The library has prioritized pillars of work to transform from "one of the best-kept Oakville secrets" to a vibrant community partner committed to "inform, engage and connect" with the locals. The OPL Board outlines, "The world has fundamentally changed and, in response, OPL's new Strategic Plan will guide how we address the digital divide, remain a reliable source of information, provide educational supports, and offer a place in which to experience culture and recreation."
A variety of OPL services like free wifi hotspots for seniors and low-income families, free digital literacy classes and digital resources for newcomers- will now be consistently and frequently promoted so that residents can use them. In addition, the strategic plan includes focussing on the professional development and training of its staff.
The library will also run programs for "enriching lives to build healthy communities."
For example, the new Community Conversations Series is "a collection of partnered programs, events, and resources to engage the residents with discussions on social issues and polarizing topics," Naveen Atwal, OPL's Manager- Integrated Marketing & Communications, shared in an email to Oakville News.
It will also run the Elder-in-Residence program to educate our residents about Indigenous history.
"We will build relationships with community partners to help residents identify and teach them how to use relevant resources," Tara Wong, OPL's CEO, shared.
Explaining how the global pandemic influenced the strategy, she said, "Instead of a typical 4-year plan, we have envisioned for only three years. We will also review the plan year by year."
Based on the success of virtual sessions with the teens, OPL will continue to find ways to balance virtual and in-person sessions apart from adjusting the key programming hours based on the population's needs, the majority of whom may now be working remotely, she confirmed.
"Flexibility is the key. We need to shift with the changing needs of our residents," Wong signed off.
