To the editor,
The numbers are in and to our delight Thunder Bay poured into the library in 2023. We had a 70 per cent increase in the number of visits to our libraries!
We saw a 22 per cent increased in the number of books loaned, a 44 per cent increase in program attendance and an average of 3,919 visits per day to the Library.
The year 2024 is shaping up to be a transformational one. We’re launching a brand-new website this spring that will knock your socks off. We’re making it even easier to find the books you love, the programs you enjoy and a digital experience that makes Thunder Bay a national leader for public libraries.
Our plans to revitalize and modernize our branches are coming to City Council in June. Stay tuned for our public engagement sessions where you can see the incredible designs that will transform the Library experience and draw thousands of new users to our doors. Brook Mcllroy, the architects who brought you the Waterfront Revitalization and the North Core Redesign, are spearheading this project to make the Library an iconic Thunder Bay experience.
With a new mission to embed Indigeneity into the very fabric of the Library, Thunder Bay born Indigenous architect Ryan Gorrie aims to ensure our new facilities embrace the history and traditions of this land and its peoples.
A picture-perfect partnership between the Library and the City Council Composition Committee is underway. The Library will be hosting four major engagement sessions this spring where residents will be able to participate directly in the Committee’s work. The input provided at the Library will help determine how our politicians get elected and whose perspectives are represented when the City makes all of its big decisions.
A special thank you to City Council for fully supporting the Library’s core budget for 2024. If you can, take the time to thank your City Councillors for giving the Library the funding we need to give you the Library you deserve.
Richard Togman
