2023 Community Report - Flipbook - Page 5
From Our Board Chair
Libraries are the lifeblood of communities, more relevant today
than they have ever been. They connect people with services,
resources and most importantly, other people. They provide
equitable access to lifelong learning and contribute to the
wellbeing of all.
In 2023, the Board undertook the exciting work of updating the
mission, vision and values of WPL and developing a new strategic
plan. The engagement, re昀氀ection and conversation that went
into this work created the opportunity for us to ask important
questions like:
• How might our community use the library to learn at all
stages of life?
• How might we create new opportunities to build community connections?
• How might the library contribute to a future Waterloo that is more accessible and
sustainable for everyone?
Through the love and labour of an exceptional staff team, a passionate community and the
many extraordinary partners who collaborate with WPL, we now have a strategic plan
to guide the library through 2027. However, this is just where the work begins. You are
encouraged to follow our progress through that road map. We are committed to reporting our
progress on the website.
On behalf of the Board, I want to thank the many individuals, community groups and library
staff who devoted signi昀椀cant time and effort to the development of our strategic plan.
We also extend a warm invitation to our whole community to join us in shaping this journey.
Share your feedback. Partner with us to bring new programs and services to life. Encourage
the people in your networks to explore all the library has to offer. Volunteer. These are just
some of the ways you can get involved in helping us to accomplish our strategic goals.
Frank Mensink
Chair of the Waterloo Public Library Board
2023 LIBRARY BOARD
Frank Mensink, Chair
Kelly McManus, Vice Chair
Julie Wright, Council Liaison
Nicole Campbell
Rick Chambers
Dawn Charlton
Micaela Kelly
Leilei Li
Jennifer Murphy
Community Report 2023 | 5
