Julie Kent, CEO of Norfolk County Public Library, with participants of NCPL’s first Library Roadshow at the Port Rowan branch.
By Chris Abbott
Editor
The Norfolk County Public Library’s newest community initiative to promote engagement within its library branches - The Library Roadshow with the CEO – has successfully launched in Port Rowan and Delhi.
Following the Jan. 29 and Feb.18 roadshows, the program’s schedule continues Thursday, March 13 from 5-7 p.m. at the Simcoe Branch; Friday, April 11 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the Port Dover Branch; and Thursday, May 29 from 5-7 p.m. at the Waterford Branch.
Inspired by the concept of Antiques Roadshow, the Library Roadshow program offers visitors a unique opportunity to connect directly with Julie Kent, CEO of NCPL, over coffee and conversations.
The plan is to visit each branch twice within the year. At some roadshows, other guests/trustees will join Kent to enrich the discussions, like Kimberly Earls, Chair of the Norfolk County Public Library Board, who will be attending in March and May.
The program was designed for community members to share feedback and ideas about library services… ask questions and explore library initiatives… and collaborate on enhancing the library’s role as a vital community hub.
“Oftentimes, libraries have open houses, and we are one library in the county that has five beating hearts - five branches in those five communities - and each one is unique,” said Kent.
2025 is the second year of a five-year library Strategic Plan. Kent said it’s important to make sure NCPL is responding to the community – they want to make sure the community is aware of the Strategic Plan and how it is activated in a meaningful way to move not just the mission of the library, but to meet the needs of the community.
Much like uncovering hidden antique treasures, Library Roadshow participants are encouraged to ‘discover the true value of their library.’
“I need to hear from the communities, what their expectations of the library are and to introduce them to the current – and future – library for their communities.”
Since the onset of technologies, libraries are not just ‘repositories for books,’ Kent noted, and have not been for more than 30 years.
“Especially with the (agriculture) business being so technology heavy, we are keeping apace with that to ensure that we have technologies available for both learning, exploring and developing, for all ages,” she said, noting the importance of the expanding MakerSpace Program and computers at libraries.
“We are responding to community needs and changes in how information is accessed, and the format people are becoming more comfortable with... Libraries are ‘change agents’ – we drive change, not react to it. We are in a position to research and understand trends in the community and libraries so that we are responsive. That is where we are moving with long-term plans, and the technology certainly plays a part in that.”
As technology continues to impact libraries, books remain a vital feature.
“They (books) won’t go away,” said Kent. “I don’t think that we will ever be without books, really, at least in my lifetime and maybe my grandchildren’s lifetime. I’m pretty confident. But we do have to have a complement of other ways in which people access their information. For many people, everything is on their phone.”
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