The Township of Champlain council received welcoming news at the January 23 meeting, highlighting the many successes of the Champlain Public Library during the 2024 calendar year. Data from the Head Librarian’s Annual Report pointed to an influx of program participants when compared to 2023 statistics.
Mayor Normand Riopel explained that “Champlain Library received accreditation from the Ontario Library Association after a rigorous, year-long preparation. The library met 181 stringent guidelines across seven categories, achieving a remarkable score of 98.8 per cent.”
“This recognition places it amongst only 36 accredited libraries out of 380 in Ontario. Madame Martin, job well done. Well, better than well done; excellent work, thank you,” he concluded with applause from council members.
Some of the major successes came from increased program participation, rising from 3,415 participants in 2023 to 4,080 in 2024, a rise of 19.5 per cent. Programs offered last year included adult programs for engaged discussions and opportunities to learn more about differing topics from a wide variety of guest speakers.
Programs also included crafts, a summer reading program which attracted 191 participants, and the launching of a new after-school junior book club that encouraged youth in the region to improve their reading fluency, broaden their vocabulary, and improve overall comprehension.
Memberships to the library also rose 1.6 per cent from 2023, while eBook circulation also increased 2.9 per cent to 7,904 titles in 2024.
Champlain Public Library’s CEO Cynthia Martin said, “It is a great honour to represent Champlain with this level of excellence and we look forward to continuing to do so for our residents in the future.”
Community partnerships and outreach continued to play a significant role in Champlain Library’s achievements last year. Some of these partnerships included hosting the Seed Library with support from the Vankleek Hill Horticultural Society, the Butterflyway project with the David Suzuki Foundation, and the A Book on Every Bed initiative which has provided 118 books to children through local food banks over the years.
Lastly, during the fall of 2024, the Champlain Library conducted a community survey to have residents share their needs and enhance the services offered to the region. Some of the main takeaways included the need for expanded library space, a strong interest in establishing a library presence in L’Orignal, and improved promotion of library services to reach more in the community.
Residents also expressed appreciation for the library’s bilingual collection and being able to access materials in both languages, as well as finding library staff knowledgeable and friendly.
