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Winnipeg Public Library

Winnipeg Public Library Board



About the Winnipeg Public Library Board

The 16-member Library Board includes 12 citizen members appointed by City Council, two City Councillors, the Manager of Library Services and one non-voting representative from the Province of Manitoba.

The Board’s mandate is to make recommendations about library policy and budget, deal with administrative matters with significant policy or service implications for the library system, and develop long range plans for the library system, including public involvement.

The Board works in consultation with the Manager of Library Services and reports to City Council’s Standing Policy Committee on Community Services.

Each of Winnipeg’s five Community Committees has appointed a Library Advisory Committee (LAC) comprising citizen members. Library Advisory Committees advise and report to the Library Board on public library services within their communities.

See also the City of Winnipeg Library Board By-Law

For more details about the Library Board and Library Advisory Committees, see the fact sheet, or you can download the Board Brochure in pdf format, or Accessible MS Word version of the Brochure.

Find out about Board Meetings, Minutes, Annual Reports and other Board Activities.

Contact the Board

Library Board Phone: 204-986-8028 (voice mail)
Email: wpllibraryboard@winnipeg.ca

Mailing Address:
Winnipeg Public Library Board
Attn: Administrative Assistant
251 Donald Street
Winnipeg, MB R3C 3P5

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD

Linda English
Chair

Stephen Kennedy
Treasurer

"I've been enjoying and exploring libraries since I was old enough to turn a page. When I was in high school, I became my hometown library board's first youth trustee to engage more young people with their library. I hope now to help continue to maintain Winnipeg libraries' vital role in bringing people in their communities closer together, and provide an unlimited source of knowledge and entertainment."

Dean Scaletta
Member-at-Large

"I am an extensive user of the Winnipeg Public Libraries system, having borrowed and read dozens of books over the past few years that I would not otherwise have had access to. My relationship with WPL goes back to the late-1960s, when I would spend hours at the Windsor Park Library researching school projects or just reading for pleasure. I still enjoy the feel of a book in my hands, and I continue to find relevance and entertainment in classic novels that were published more than 200 years ago. I believe in the importance of public libraries to a community, and I joined the WPL Board as a way to contribute their ongoing success."

Lisa Laker
Member-at-Large

Why are libraries important to me? Because, growing up, we didn't have much and my mom - an avid reader - often made books and trips to the library a special occasion for me. It cost nothing, but meant everything. Ready access to free books and programming turned me into a prolific reader and gave me the tools to pass down that love of reading to my children. Without public libraries, there would be a big hole in our communities and a serious lack of resources for many of our members and their families. Libraries create opportunities.

Melak Yossief
Member-at-Large

From early on a love of reading was instilled as a core value in my family with books being the primary Christmas gifts. Therefore, as Jorge Luis Borges once said ""I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of a Library." In my first very cold Winnipeg winter, I found there is no place as warm to be at as the library. As a newcomer from Sudan, I had yet to learn skating and other winter pastimes. Therefore, books borrowed from my local and school library (Munroe) were the main entertainment. From learning how to bench press in the fitness magazines to HTML coding to understanding the inner workings of the Percy Jackson world the library was the portal of learning and fun. The library bulletin also served to alert the many opportunities present in the community. We regularly used the Kildonan East collegiate library as a meeting point during lunchtime. Here I learned how to play chess, made friends, and completed many a puzzle. In university and high school, the librarian was equal to the teacher for assisting with article retrieval and accessing resources to complete reports. The library is the center of knowledge for the community perhaps not only in the books it holds but rather in the people it brings together. The free and fast Wi-Fi allowed many group collaborations to occur. The most insightful and exciting conversations to have, I wager, will be at your local library.

Karon Chester

"I have always enjoyed reading and going to the library. To me, the library was, and still is a place to learn and discover insights about ourselves and others. Library programming and services are excellent opportunities to engage in discussions and to gain cultural understanding and perspectives about our neighbourhood, city, province and world. To those from past generations who encouraged my love for reading, my hope is to do the same for the next generation!"

Kristen Hardy

"I'm a life-long library user; a Winnipeg Public Library card in my own name was an early prized possession of mine! I have fond childhood memories of going through the stacks in search of books on every imaginable topic, and carrying out a large stack with me after each visit.

Today, as an academic, I depend on libraries for research and teaching resources, writing space, educational events and speakers -- and fiction for de-stressing, too! During these pandemic times, the library's e-book collection has become a particularly valued resource to me.

As a disabled person, I am especially interested in how libraries can be made more accessible to disabled users and others whose physical, sensory, and mental needs have not always been fully met. And as a settler committed to reconciliation, I also want to see Winnipeg's libraries become leading spaces of Indigenous knowledge-sharing and valued places of care and support for Indigenous members of our community."

Wara Chiyoka

Since a young age, I have always been a keen reader, and libraries have been and remain a valuable resource to me. Libraries provide resources and a safe space for many purposes including reading, internet access, learning, story time, and connecting with others.

During each of my library visits, I am reminded of how well our city's libraries foster social interaction and inclusivity by providing spaces where people from diverse backgrounds can gather and share perspectives and ideas. My local library provides much more than access to books or the internet; it hosts and facilitates story time reading, provides spaces for private tutoring, and gives out plants in the spring!

Drawing from my membership on the Board, I look forward to sharing with and promoting to other Winnipeggers the many resources and programs that our city libraries provide.

Nunziata Masi

Libraries offer an essential learning environment for individuals of all ages, from the earliest readers, to trained academics. Books provide a way to think, and learn, and grow. But libraries are more than just a place to find a book. Winnipeg is enriched through its libraries as community spaces. Although I always left with a stack of books, some of my fondest childhood memories were of the wonderful programming that our libraries have to offer. These experiences helped shape my love for reading and create a lasting bond with the library as a cherished place of learning and imagination. I am grateful for the opportunity to give back to this wonderful city as a member of the WPL board.

Alvin Murdock

Melanie Ferris

Ramy Penner

Councillor Russ Wyatt
Councillor at Large

Councillor Vivian Santos
Councillor for SPC-CS

Karin Borland
Manager of Library Services

Trevor Surgenor
Director, Manitoba Public Library Services

More Than Books: The History of the Winnipeg Public Library

Book Cover

Project Background

More Than Books: The History of the Winnipeg Public Library, written by Eve Dutton and Kathleen Williams and edited by Joan Blakley, details the complete history of the Winnipeg Public Library. Featuring over 160 photos and archival images, the book was funded by the City of Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Public Library Board and was published by the Winnipeg Public Library.

How to obtain a copy

Borrow from Winnipeg Public Library or as an eBook using the Library's Overdrive eBook service.

 

Library Advisory Committees

About Library Advisory Committees

Role of Library Advisory Committees

The Library Advisory Committees (LACs) serve as community voices to provide local input within the Winnipeg Public Library system. The LACs provide a valuable resource to both the Winnipeg Public Library Board and the Winnipeg Public Library, by providing feedback to enhance library services in their local communities.

Library Advisory Committees are involved in the following general activities:

  • Providing community feedback on library services and programs;
  • Identifying and undertaking special projects and programs in conjunction with their local libraries;
  • Promoting the activities and services of the Library, LACs and Board;
  • Identifying and conveying to the Library Board matters of local concern.

Reporting Structure

Under City of Winnipeg By-Law No. 119/2004, the Library Advisory Committees report to the Winnipeg Public Library Board. The Board reports to City Council through the Standing Policy Committee on Protection and Community Services.

Library Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes

Last update: February 28, 2024

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