good morning everyone and thank you it
is my great pleasure to be here as part
of Brampton’s first TEDx event and as
Mohammed told you and I am the very
proud CEO of Krypton library an
absolutely wonderful organization in
this city now on this very exciting day
in a schedule full of entrepreneurs and
engineers and large thought big thinkers
thought leaders when you looked at the
schedule and saw that there was a
librarian how many people thought hmm
librarian does anybody still go to the
library come on how many people thought
does anybody still go to the library all
you guys are being very kind thank you
very much Thanks well I am happy to tell
you that in fact they do they come to
the library by the thousands and not
just in Brampton but in public library
facilities right across our country it’s
a really exciting time for public
libraries and I hope that I’m going to
spend the next few minutes dispelling
some old stereotypes breaking some myths
and reinventing the idea of what a
public library can should be and is and
really taking public libraries to the
next level so as you know public
libraries have been around for centuries
literally centuries and we’ve done a
pretty good job if I say so myself over
the last 20 years our service model has
been completely disrupted it’s a whole
new world order particularly from the
time when I got into librarianship
believe me I remember the days and I
think some of you may to remember the
days when the librarians sat behind the
desk waited for people to approach and
then we would consult our volumes and
volumes and stacks and stacks of
reference materials that we needed
to provide you with answers do you
remember those days yeah how many people
here have fond memories of the public
library as a kid did you come to the
library with your parents your
grandparents you came for storytime
do you remember looking for that next
book in your favorite series whether it
was Hardy Boys or goose bombs
baby-sitters club any Curious George
fans in the audience right
we have those warm nostalgic memories of
what the library was all about did it
look like that
no I venture to say it didn’t this is
Brampton libraries Chinguacousy branch
we closed that library for nearly a year
last year invested a couple million
dollars to bring it up to speed bring it
up to up to grade for what a 21st
century library should be and this
really is a next-level library back in
the day when we were sitting behind the
desk waiting for you to come so we could
dole out the information because after
all that’s where you went to get
information mind blowing thought that
was before the internet and it was
certainly before Google we were in the
business of providing content providing
access to content because that’s what we
did information was expensive not
everyone had access to all of those
volumes and volumes that we collected as
a collective on behalf of the community
you’ll notice that you don’t see any
librarians with buns and glasses sitting
behind a desk there now I still wear the
pearls but you know we will we’ll
myth-busting step at a time what you see
is a very busy 21st century library full
of computers full of technology and full
of people who yes are there too in some
cases go be in search of content who are
in search of information we still have
that
expert help they’re ready to jump in if
you need assistance but nowadays
libraries are much more about content
creation and facilitating content
creation does this look like a library
to you yes I’ve got a couple nods well
this is the same library this is the
recording studio at our Ching koozie
library and some of you may be surprised
to know that recording studios are
featured in many urban public libraries
across Canada so rather than sitting
behind desks and waiting for people to
come and doling out information are
skilled and knowledgeable library staff
are assisting creative individuals to
create their own content whether it be
podcasts or music production people come
in to record their their oral histories
of their families and preserve them
that’s what public libraries are all
about and it’s not just recording
studios it’s maker spaces as well so
we’ve become experts and facilitators in
21st century literacies so yes I agree
with Mohammed we all love to read and I
still love to hold a book but the 21st
century digital literacies are what will
be really significant to take our
communities to the next level our maker
spaces are filled with equipment like 3d
printers and scanners and vinyl cutters
and laser cutters that you can create
all sorts of your own material for
whatever need you may have in your life
we assist people with free 3d printing
everything from elementary school kids
who come in after school and they 3d
print their school assignments to local
entrepreneurs who come in and they 3d
print a prototype of their invention to
take to market right through to the
person I talked to last week who
broken the knob off on her dryer at home
and needed a new knob for her dryer so
not only were our knowledgeable staff
able to find the online file for the
production of that particular piece they
then helped her 3d printed out of
plastic and home she went to put that
knob on her dryer and turn it on so not
only did she save about a hundred and
fifty dollars in a service call and cost
but what an incredible story and what an
incredible new vision of what a public
library is and can be we serve and
support and facilitate the creative
economy in a way that no other
not-for-profit community organization
does okay well just a little
name-dropping
imagine how proud we were last year when
Justin Trudeau
came to Gore metals one of our branch
libraries to make a significant federal
announcement and why you might ask would
the Prime Minister come to a library to
make a significant announcement because
he understands that libraries are
community hubs safe and democratic
spaces where everyone is welcomed with
open arms what’s he doing there can
everyone see what he’s playing with Lego
that’s right the Prime Minister and a
bunch of really engaged kids and their
parents are playing with Lego who would
have thought that Lego mania would be
one of our most popular programs at the
library the collaborative spirit of kids
coming together to build to cooperate to
engineer is the building blocks for the
next level of program beyond this which
is Lego robotics and we all know that
coding and programming are essential
21st century literacies that our kids
are going to need to be successful in
our next level communities we offer
dozens of stem programming is everyone
familiar with this acronym stem science
technology and
nearing map we offer dozens of stem
programming programs and they’re
attended by thousands of kids and their
families building on the curriculum in a
safe warm and welcoming space that
really is contributing to the next level
so it’s not just in Brampton we’ll move
outside of Brampton for a few minutes
there is an enormous renaissance in
public library building happening right
across our country do these are these
pictures familiar to everyone anyone has
anyone visited the Halifax Public
Library that’s the one in the top corner
absolutely amazing facility that’s been
open for a couple years now it has
completely transformed not only their
downtown but really the entire ring
around the downtown iconic arcus
architecture as you can see it’s meant
to look like a stack of books that top
floors a very cool coffee lounge with
views of the harbor over 1 million
people came through the doors of that
library in its first year of operations
amazing it’s become a tourist
destination in its own right to say
nothing of all the activity that happens
inside makerspace recording studio all
the things that we’ve already been
talking about the bottom corner you’ll
see the Calgary Public Library scheduled
to open in the fall of this year a two
hundred and forty five million dollar
investment that will be another
game-changer for that city’s downtown
completely transformative you can see in
this architects model there is an LRT
stop right inside the building the
trains will come in deposit people pick
them up right inside the building why
are cities making this kind of
investment in public libraries because
they understand the return on that
investment for their communities is
significant this
this is Brampton’s next level Public
Library this is the Springdale branch of
the Brampton library I love this picture
I think it’s absolutely stunning we
opened this building in the spring of
this year and not unlike Halifax we
haven’t welcomed a million people yet
but we have welcomed over a thousand
people a day seven days a week come into
this branch it’s absolutely amazing the
walls are all glass so as you walk by or
drive by it is literally a beacon in the
community people are drawn in they see
the activity inside they see the
beautiful architecture and they want to
be part of it so this is an excellent
investment I’m going to leave you with
this thought can anyone guess of every
tax dollar that you pay in Brampton
every dollar of taxes how much of that
dollar comes to support Public Library
Service just shout it out any thoughts
three cents that’s a good guess it’s too
high that’s one-third too much two cents
of every tax dollar goes to support
Public Library Service in Brampton and
when you look at this facility when you
think about the amazing equipment that’s
available and our friendly and
knowledgeable staff I think you’ll agree
it’s a very good investment of taxpayer
money
I’m delighted thank you very much I hope
I’ve used this opportunity to dispel
some myths and help you to understand
what next-level libraries are all about thank you
is my great pleasure to be here as part
of Brampton’s first TEDx event and as
Mohammed told you and I am the very
proud CEO of Krypton library an
absolutely wonderful organization in
this city now on this very exciting day
in a schedule full of entrepreneurs and
engineers and large thought big thinkers
thought leaders when you looked at the
schedule and saw that there was a
librarian how many people thought hmm
librarian does anybody still go to the
library come on how many people thought
does anybody still go to the library all
you guys are being very kind thank you
very much Thanks well I am happy to tell
you that in fact they do they come to
the library by the thousands and not
just in Brampton but in public library
facilities right across our country it’s
a really exciting time for public
libraries and I hope that I’m going to
spend the next few minutes dispelling
some old stereotypes breaking some myths
and reinventing the idea of what a
public library can should be and is and
really taking public libraries to the
next level so as you know public
libraries have been around for centuries
literally centuries and we’ve done a
pretty good job if I say so myself over
the last 20 years our service model has
been completely disrupted it’s a whole
new world order particularly from the
time when I got into librarianship
believe me I remember the days and I
think some of you may to remember the
days when the librarians sat behind the
desk waited for people to approach and
then we would consult our volumes and
volumes and stacks and stacks of
reference materials that we needed
to provide you with answers do you
remember those days yeah how many people
here have fond memories of the public
library as a kid did you come to the
library with your parents your
grandparents you came for storytime
do you remember looking for that next
book in your favorite series whether it
was Hardy Boys or goose bombs
baby-sitters club any Curious George
fans in the audience right
we have those warm nostalgic memories of
what the library was all about did it
look like that
no I venture to say it didn’t this is
Brampton libraries Chinguacousy branch
we closed that library for nearly a year
last year invested a couple million
dollars to bring it up to speed bring it
up to up to grade for what a 21st
century library should be and this
really is a next-level library back in
the day when we were sitting behind the
desk waiting for you to come so we could
dole out the information because after
all that’s where you went to get
information mind blowing thought that
was before the internet and it was
certainly before Google we were in the
business of providing content providing
access to content because that’s what we
did information was expensive not
everyone had access to all of those
volumes and volumes that we collected as
a collective on behalf of the community
you’ll notice that you don’t see any
librarians with buns and glasses sitting
behind a desk there now I still wear the
pearls but you know we will we’ll
myth-busting step at a time what you see
is a very busy 21st century library full
of computers full of technology and full
of people who yes are there too in some
cases go be in search of content who are
in search of information we still have
that
expert help they’re ready to jump in if
you need assistance but nowadays
libraries are much more about content
creation and facilitating content
creation does this look like a library
to you yes I’ve got a couple nods well
this is the same library this is the
recording studio at our Ching koozie
library and some of you may be surprised
to know that recording studios are
featured in many urban public libraries
across Canada so rather than sitting
behind desks and waiting for people to
come and doling out information are
skilled and knowledgeable library staff
are assisting creative individuals to
create their own content whether it be
podcasts or music production people come
in to record their their oral histories
of their families and preserve them
that’s what public libraries are all
about and it’s not just recording
studios it’s maker spaces as well so
we’ve become experts and facilitators in
21st century literacies so yes I agree
with Mohammed we all love to read and I
still love to hold a book but the 21st
century digital literacies are what will
be really significant to take our
communities to the next level our maker
spaces are filled with equipment like 3d
printers and scanners and vinyl cutters
and laser cutters that you can create
all sorts of your own material for
whatever need you may have in your life
we assist people with free 3d printing
everything from elementary school kids
who come in after school and they 3d
print their school assignments to local
entrepreneurs who come in and they 3d
print a prototype of their invention to
take to market right through to the
person I talked to last week who
broken the knob off on her dryer at home
and needed a new knob for her dryer so
not only were our knowledgeable staff
able to find the online file for the
production of that particular piece they
then helped her 3d printed out of
plastic and home she went to put that
knob on her dryer and turn it on so not
only did she save about a hundred and
fifty dollars in a service call and cost
but what an incredible story and what an
incredible new vision of what a public
library is and can be we serve and
support and facilitate the creative
economy in a way that no other
not-for-profit community organization
does okay well just a little
name-dropping
imagine how proud we were last year when
Justin Trudeau
came to Gore metals one of our branch
libraries to make a significant federal
announcement and why you might ask would
the Prime Minister come to a library to
make a significant announcement because
he understands that libraries are
community hubs safe and democratic
spaces where everyone is welcomed with
open arms what’s he doing there can
everyone see what he’s playing with Lego
that’s right the Prime Minister and a
bunch of really engaged kids and their
parents are playing with Lego who would
have thought that Lego mania would be
one of our most popular programs at the
library the collaborative spirit of kids
coming together to build to cooperate to
engineer is the building blocks for the
next level of program beyond this which
is Lego robotics and we all know that
coding and programming are essential
21st century literacies that our kids
are going to need to be successful in
our next level communities we offer
dozens of stem programming is everyone
familiar with this acronym stem science
technology and
nearing map we offer dozens of stem
programming programs and they’re
attended by thousands of kids and their
families building on the curriculum in a
safe warm and welcoming space that
really is contributing to the next level
so it’s not just in Brampton we’ll move
outside of Brampton for a few minutes
there is an enormous renaissance in
public library building happening right
across our country do these are these
pictures familiar to everyone anyone has
anyone visited the Halifax Public
Library that’s the one in the top corner
absolutely amazing facility that’s been
open for a couple years now it has
completely transformed not only their
downtown but really the entire ring
around the downtown iconic arcus
architecture as you can see it’s meant
to look like a stack of books that top
floors a very cool coffee lounge with
views of the harbor over 1 million
people came through the doors of that
library in its first year of operations
amazing it’s become a tourist
destination in its own right to say
nothing of all the activity that happens
inside makerspace recording studio all
the things that we’ve already been
talking about the bottom corner you’ll
see the Calgary Public Library scheduled
to open in the fall of this year a two
hundred and forty five million dollar
investment that will be another
game-changer for that city’s downtown
completely transformative you can see in
this architects model there is an LRT
stop right inside the building the
trains will come in deposit people pick
them up right inside the building why
are cities making this kind of
investment in public libraries because
they understand the return on that
investment for their communities is
significant this
this is Brampton’s next level Public
Library this is the Springdale branch of
the Brampton library I love this picture
I think it’s absolutely stunning we
opened this building in the spring of
this year and not unlike Halifax we
haven’t welcomed a million people yet
but we have welcomed over a thousand
people a day seven days a week come into
this branch it’s absolutely amazing the
walls are all glass so as you walk by or
drive by it is literally a beacon in the
community people are drawn in they see
the activity inside they see the
beautiful architecture and they want to
be part of it so this is an excellent
investment I’m going to leave you with
this thought can anyone guess of every
tax dollar that you pay in Brampton
every dollar of taxes how much of that
dollar comes to support Public Library
Service just shout it out any thoughts
three cents that’s a good guess it’s too
high that’s one-third too much two cents
of every tax dollar goes to support
Public Library Service in Brampton and
when you look at this facility when you
think about the amazing equipment that’s
available and our friendly and
knowledgeable staff I think you’ll agree
it’s a very good investment of taxpayer
money
I’m delighted thank you very much I hope
I’ve used this opportunity to dispel
some myths and help you to understand
what next-level libraries are all about thank you
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