July 11, 2022
One of the challenges many organizations have as the pandemic winds down is maintaining their staffing levels. At Haliburton County Public Library, we said goodbye to five long-serving staff who moved on to pursue new personal adventures. This shift in our workplace has been sudden, but it has presented new opportunities.
As the Library CEO, I’m engaged in all aspects of library operations and planning. This season, however, I’ve also helped staff our branches and I’ve been fortunate to meet our patrons while serving in several locations. Occasionally, feedback I have received is that some of our visitors enjoy interacting with a consistent staff member each time they visit their local branch. While consistency is an aim for us, too, from a scheduling perspective, I’d like to point out that we have a talented and diverse staff. By circulating our team members to work in different branches, we’re able to provide improved service because they bring their new ideas, perspectives, and unique skillsets.
Our staff have varied reading tastes just as our patrons do, so when you ask for readers’ advisory support (a suggestion for the next great thing you could read), you will likely gain fresh insight about the books we have in the library’s collection. A nimble and revolving library staff also helps us take programming initiatives ‘on the road,’ so to speak. If a staff member creates a technology program, say for teens, they can travel to other branches so that it can be experienced by youth in each of the communities our library system serves.
All that to say you may notice a few new faces at HCPL this summer. We have four new branch staff joining us this month and we can’t wait for you to meet them!
We welcome Hillary Montgomery to our library administration team. Hillary is joining us in her capacity as the new Programming & Outreach Coordinator. This is a vital role on our leadership team, as Hillary will help to maintain our relationships and partnership programs across the County.
Additionally, an Outreach coordinator has their ear to the ground for new opportunities that may be available to us, as libraries always endeavour to respond to the unique needs and desires of our patrons and visitors. We love a good pitch for a new partnership idea, or a speaking engagement we might host at one of our branches.
In the meantime, I hope you’re enjoying some of the summer programming that is already rolling out, such as Kids Club, Family Storytime, genealogy research support programs, and our crafting and book clubs. One of the neat features of our new website is the Programs + Events calendar, which highlights programs and events for different age groups.
TD Summer Reading Club is just getting started, so you’ll want to check out how you can get your children signed up. And when you visit the library next, consider bringing a friend or a family member who may not be familiar with Haliburton County Public Library. We love to meet new people, and to share the latest and greatest about what we have happening here!
By Chris Stephenson, CEO