Media Releases & Public Service Announcements

2024


Thunder Bay Public Library and Thunder Bay Repair Café Announce 2024 Partnership

For Immediate Release, Thunder Bay, ON - Friday, March 15, 2024: Thunder Bay Public Library and Thunder Bay Repair Café met today to finalize a Partnership Agreement between the two organizations that will ensure local residents will enjoy regular opportunities to have broken household items repaired, to learn to do their own repairs, and to help reduce overall waste for the rest of 2024.

The partnership commits to hold Repair Café events quarterly through the rest of 2024, with the first Café to be held at Waverley Resource Library in celebration of Earth Day on Saturday, April 20, 2024.

“Both the Library and the Repair Café bring together volunteers and visitors of all ages and interests,” Repair Café organizer Nancy Saunders said about the new partnership. “It's a natural fit. Working together will allow us to offer more opportunities to the people of Thunder Bay to learn to make repairs, minimize unnecessary waste, and participate in free community events.”

Head Librarian Ruth Hamlin-Douglas enthusiastically agreed. “Partnerships like this help the Library in its mission to facilitate knowledge sharing and to help build a connected and healthy community,” she said. “Thunder Bay Repair Café shares core values with us including collaboration, access and sharing. We can't wait to see what kind of learning opportunities people enjoy at these events!”

In addition to the Earth Day event, successive Repair Café events will be scheduled for July and October, with a strong possibility of renewing the partnership for 2025.


Background: Thunder Bay Public Library

The Thunder Bay Public Library's 2024-2028 Strategic Plan brings a renewed focus on collaboration, innovation, and experimentation - between the organization and community partners, and among its users. The sharing of knowledge in its many forms remains a major priority as does the opportunity to try out new things and provide ways to learn, share, build community and help one another.

The Library partners with local government, businesses, non-profits, and the community. We recognize that by collaborating and working together, we are stronger and more effective in achieving our collective goals. Partnership inquiries can be directed to Raili Roy at the number or email address below.

Background: Thunder Bay Repair Café

Thunder Bay Repair Café was founded in 2022 and has held five free Cafés at different spots around Thunder Bay. Event participation continues to grow and it's clear that Thunder Bay residents want and need opportunities to have broken household items repaired, to learn to do their own repairs, and to help reduce overall waste.

At each Repair Café event, volunteer repair experts, or "Fixers", help make all possible repairs free of charge while sharing their knowledge and walking attendees through the process. Successfully repaired household items include a leaf blower; a hair dryer; a straightening iron; several lamps; a garment steamer; a stereo receiver; luggage; a toaster; wooden chairs and tables; gaming consoles; jewelry; shoes, boots, and various items of clothing. More information: www.tbayrepaircafe.org

 

2023


March 20, 2023: MEDIA RELEASE

Ruth Hamlin-Douglas joins TBPL Leadership Team as Head Librarian 

For Immediate Release, Thunder Bay, ON - Monday, March 20, 2023 - The Thunder Bay Public Library is pleased to announce that Ruth Hamlin-Douglas has joined our Management team after successfully competing for the position of Head Librarian. 

The Selection Committee reviewed applications from across the country as well as international applicants and unanimously scored Ruth the highest of all candidates by a significant margin during the interview process.

CEO Richard Togman said “I'm very pleased to have Ruth at the table.  Her seventeen years of experience with Thunder Bay Public Library have shown her to be a passionate, dedicated and forward-thinking Librarian. During her years at TBPL she has been responsible for many areas of the organization.  She has a wealth of institutional knowledge which will be of immense value through our upcoming organizational restructuring and the development of our Master Facilities Plan.”

Ruth Hamlin-Douglas has lived in Thunder Bay since she joined the Library team in 2006 and has developed strong relationships with the staff team and the community.

“I'm coming in with three areas of focus,” Ruth said. “I intend to give our staff the support they need to provide excellent patron experiences, to ensure our Library delivers exceptional value to the community, and to make a meaningful contribution to the ambitious vision our CEO has for the future of our organization.”

The hiring of a Head Librarian is part of an organizational restructuring process intended to improve the efficiency and service capacity of the current Library system and prepare the ground for the implementation of a Master Facilities Plan.  

 

2022


MEDIA RELEASE

Library Releases Budget Consultation Survey Results


The Thunder Bay Public Library (TBPL) released a survey on Thursday, November 24, 2022 to gauge public reaction to a drastic 15% funding cut being proposed by City Administration to the Library's capital budget.

The community response to the survey was swift and decisive. Over 2,600 people responded to the survey in just over two weeks.  The community expressed very strong support for the Library receiving an appropriate level of funding to ensure that buildings were properly maintained.  Respondents also overwhelmingly supported increasing the overall level of funding allocated to the Library.

Here are some of the responses to key survey questions:

  • Over 92% of respondents were strongly opposed to a 15% cut to the Library's budget.

  • Seventy six percent of the respondents would consider attending a protest to protect the Library from big budget cuts. 

  • Over 89% of respondents would be less likely to vote for a current Councillor in the next election if they voted to cut the Library's funding.

  • Less than 2% of respondents thought the Library should be denied its request for a 3% increase to its capital budget.

  • Over 80% of respondents support the City giving full and proper funding (as outlined in the long term capital forecast) to the Library to invest in infrastructure over the long term.

  • Over 82% of respondents would prefer to see a reduction in the salaries of managers at the City rather than a reduction to the Library's capital budget.

  • Over 81% of respondents indicated that they would be supportive of having 4% to 7% of their property taxes allocated to properly fund the Library. This amount is currently hovering around 3% of property taxes.

  • Over 73% of the respondents indicated that they would be willing to pay an extra $20 in taxes to ensure that a neighbourhood library remained open.

  • Over 70% of respondents would be willing to pay more taxes to have a new state of the art public library.

  • Over 94% of respondents want the Library to keep them informed as to which Councillors vote to increase or decrease the Library's funding.

After accounting for inflation, the Library's operating budget has only increased 0.02% over the last 15 years - despite increasing wages, the rising costs of Library materials and technology, higher utility costs and aging and declining infrastructure.  We also have a 21 million dollar infrastructure gap, as decades of under-funding have left the Library in a precarious situation.

Members of the community have spoken and have told us and our elected officials that slashing the services our community depends on is not the way to build a healthy, inclusive and safe city.

The Library has also received more than 20 letters of support from local organizations, MPs and MPPs who are deeply concerned about the impact that cuts to the Library will have on their students, clients, members and constituents.


MEDIA RELEASE

LIBRARY BOARD HIRES NEW CEO

Tuesday, July 19, 2022 (Thunder Bay, ON) -- The Board of the Thunder Bay Public Library is pleased to announce that the new CEO has been selected.  An extensive national search, facilitated by an executive search firm, has resulted in the appointment of Richard Togman as the CEO for Thunder Bay Public Library.  Dr. Togman will begin his position full time in early September.

Togman's educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics from Wilfred Laurier University, a Master of Arts in Political Science from Carleton, and a PhD from the University of British Columbia in Political Science.

Togman's work experience includes being Co-Founder/CEO of Rent Panda; Research and Policy Coordinator with the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce; Consultant with PARO Centre for Women's Enterprises and the New Directions Speakers School and sessional lecturer at Lakehead University and the University of British Columbia.  He was also a 2nd Lieutenant in the Canadian Armed Forces.

He has been recognized by the local business community for innovation and entrepreneurship. Togman won the 2022 Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce Small Business Excellence Award; the 2020 Northern Ontario Visionary Awards for business and professional achievement; the 2019 New Business Excellence award from the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce; and the 2018 Innovative Company of the Year award from the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre.

Togman has demonstrated experience in leadership, strategic planning, marketing, communication, advocacy, and physical infrastructure development.

Togman has also served as a valued Board Member for several local organizations, including the Thunder Bay Public Library, Crime Prevention Council, the City of Thunder Bay Committees of Appeals and Adjustment and as a volunteer with Matawa Education and Care Centre.

On accepting the CEO position, Togman said, "I'm honoured to serve the community through the library. The library is a sacred place that many of us grew up with and depend upon. I'm excited to help grow the library and share my experience as an innovator and entrepreneur with a respected and beloved institution. Thunder Bay should expect to see great things from their library over the coming years as we emerge from COVID and rebuild as a community of growth and opportunity with top tier public spaces."

The Board of the Thunder Bay Public Library welcomes Dr. Togman to his new position and looks forward to working with him.

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Media Contact:   Tina Maronese - 807-630-5664 - tmaronese@tbpl.ca