North Shore libraries recognized by provincial library association

A pair of North Shore libraries have been recognized for innovative programming by their industry peers across the province.

Librarian Paul Taylor, of North Vancouver District Public Library’s Parkgate branch, has been awarded the British Columbia Library Association’s Building Better Communities Award, while the youth department at West Vancouver Memorial Library has been given the association’s Young Adult and Children’s Services Award.

Every year the BCLA invites the library community to nominate individuals and organizations across the province for awards highlighting outstanding work in libraries.

This year’s awards were announced at the association’s annual general meeting last month, according to a press release.

Referring to the program curation and community librarianship as “novel and inspirational” at North Vancouver District Public Library, which includes three branches, Taylor was given the award for fostering a welcoming environment for the community to learn new things, share ideas and discuss a multitude of topics, stated Christine Middlemass, BCLA president, in the release.

“During a time when many social issues and crises are gaining significance and, at times, becoming divisive, it is more important than ever that libraries create spaces for communities to engage with and exchange and ideas,” stated Middlemass.

The four-person team which makes up West Vancouver library’s youth department was recognized primarily for establishing a partnership with the West Vancouver school district to a create a “seamless learning environment where students can move from school to library and back again with support for their learning in either environment,” according to the release.

Of specific note was the departments Tell Your Story program, an ebook publishing program for students in grades 5-8 to create and publish their own original work in digital form.