2009 Library Board Members 2009 Library Staff Members

2009 Library Board Members
Jerri Whiting, Chair
Ann Hemming, Vice Chair
Janet Lengel
Ann Wase Lickers
Pat MacDonald
Malcolm Millar
Don Ricker, Councillor
2009 Library Staff Members
Debra Jackson, CEO
Paul Diette, Deputy CEO
Roberta Chapman, Branch Coordinator
Joyce Gowan, Branch Coordinator
Caledonia Branch Staff:
Wendy Ockenden
Margareth Riley
Allison Itte
Shannon Lindsay
Margaret Young
Debra Dusseault
Christine Raby
Brittany Donovan
Ryan Jones (Oct. - )
Dunnville Branch Staff:
Lynn Harrison
Donna Hoedt
Lisa Smeaton
Debbie Van Grieken
Kim Bergin
Heather Drouin (Jan.-May)
Samantha Crooks (Jan.-Jun.)
Rebekah Steele (Jan.-Aug.)
Katryna Drouin (Jul. - )
Jennifer Stanley (Aug. - )
Jacob Farr (Sep. - )
Charity Blaine (Oct. - )
Cayuga Branch Staff:
Barb Booker
Sandra Hoskin
Madison Stirling
Selkirk Branch Staff:
Marg Fehrman (Jan.-Apr.)
Jewel Macauley
Bonnie Schweyer
Pam Stone (May -)
Brad McCuen
Jarvis Branch Staff:
Cathie Rounce
Cara Bridgwater
Wanda Nelson
Melissa Armstrong (Jan.-Aug.)
Andrea Kline (Sep. - )
Julia Haas (Oct. - )
Hagersville Branch Staff:
Teresa Thompson
Ardeth Gardener
Kathleen Pring
Danielle Ross
Samantha Male (Jan.-Aug.)
Alaina LaRiviere (Sep. - )
Ashley Ricker (Oct. - )
Marg Fehrman, Senior Library Assistant
at the Selkirk Branch retired on January
26 th after 22 years of dedicated service.
Jill Shea, Temporary Digitization
Assistant.

Community Vibrancy and Healthy Community
New Projects
New projects undertaken by the Haldimand County Public Library in 2009 to meet Haldimand County’s strategic
direction of community vibrancy and healthy community included:
Awarding a tender to +VG architects to prepare build-ready specifications for a proposed 3,730 square foot
expansion to the Dunnville branch; an expansion would allow for increased collection space, improved
accessibility features, enhanced space for public PCs and wireless access, improved parking and green
savings;
Repositioning of the Cayuga Branch collection as a “best-seller” location, devoting its space to those
materials most popular within the community;
Establishing a new partnership with McKinnon Park Child Care Centre, which worked with the Library to
promote area literacy by arranging class visits to the library for stories and activities and promoting the
Library’s summer reading program;
Sponsoring “County Tales,” an Adult Writing Competition, with winners’ stories published in book format and
available for loan from the Library; and sponsoring the 5 th annual Teen Writing Competition with winners
receiving cash prizes provided by local sponsors;
Using funds from a provincial grant to establish a video game collection. The popularity of this collection has
attracted new registrants and has proven a great way to introduce users to other teen-oriented services and
programs available at their local branch.

Forging a partnership with the Haldimand Abilities Centre in Hagersville; library staff received training on the
Centre’s services and programs and demonstrations of various assistive devices available for people living
with visual and other physical limitations. Staff knowledge of the available resources has since been imparted
to many library patrons. The Library has also promoted, through displays, the Centre’s Powerhouse Project, a
program designed to assist young caregivers and their families;
Successfully applying to the Community Digitization Program for full funding to digitize local materials related
to World War 1, in anticipation of the centennial in 2014. This collaboration with the Haldimand County
Museum, the Dunnville District Heritage Association and the North Erie Shore Historical Society will make an
important part of our local history accessible over the web. News clippings, letters from the front, and
photographs are just some of the resources to be discovered in this database. This material is excellent for
historians, researchers and students of all ages. You can visit the site at:
http://images.ourontario.ca/haldimandmuseums/search. Funding for the project was made available from
the Ontario Ministry of Culture;
Distributing colouring books in conjunction with Doors Open Haldimand to encourage young people to learn
about local heritage and culture;
Partnering with Reality Media to assist in the production of educational books, DVDs and workshop kits,
beginning with Ojibwe storytelling traditions.

Ongoing Activities
Delivering another successful summer children’s program, with Secret Agent ’009 being the theme. 2,511
residents participated in the summer program, including 876 registrations for the children’s reading program
and 158 registrations for the teen reading program. Summer events combined with other children’s
programs throughout the year, such as StoryTime, Reptile Man Shows, Christmas crafts, class visits, Tales for
Twos, March Break programs and Family Literacy Day activities drew a total of 6,469 participants.
Delivering programs, including a visit from Sandra Demos, author of Cleo’s Alphabet Lunch, Heritage Day
celebrations at the Selkirk and Dunnville branches and monthly book club, scrabble club and coffee club
meetings. 3,450 members of the community attended these programs.
Benefitting from the generosity of volunteers, who continued to demonstrate their commitment to their
community and local library branches by devoting 3,600 hours of service on a wide range of activities
including materials shelving, shut-in service deliveries, book sale assistance, and programming support;
Receiving monetary donations totalling $71,179, which included a $62,000 bequest from the estate of
Caledonia resident Helen Louise Thompson. Additionally, thousands of book and audiovisual titles were
donated to the library’s collections and book sales. The value of materials added to collections totalled
$51,750, with items added to book sales helping to raise $10,585 system-wide. Additional monies raised by
the Friends of the Dunnville Library and the Jarvis Library Guild through yard sales, penny sales, and book
sales were generated for special projects including the proposed expansion and renovation of the Dunnville
Branch and the digitization of a local history collection and purchase of a new microfilm reader/printer,
respectively. The Selkirk Friends’ Soup and Sandwich Lunch proceeds were used to sponsor the Selkirk
branch’s summer reading program. The Zehr’s register tapes fundraising program continued in Caledonia this
year, raising $256.53 in January.
Library staff received updated First Aid training and instruction on Automatic External Defibrillators.
Partnering with the Ontario Provincial Police continued with a Crime Stoppers display in Caledonia, focussing
on traffic and Internet safety for children;
Partnering with Haldimand Museums to deliver presentations to the Library’s Coffee Club members:
Museum Curator Karen Richardson delivered talks on “Is There a Doctor in the House?” and “A Woman’s
Work Is Never Done”. The museum’s antique clothing display also circulated among the branches.

Continuing to help reluctant young readers with the Paws for Reading program at the Caledonia branch.
Children find it is fun to read to the Child Certified Therapy Dogs;
Continuing our Partnership with Haldimand Norfolk Health Unit, with World Tuberculosis Day displays hosted
by the Library and the distribution of Health Unit surveys which will assist the Health Unit in making plans for
future programming. Displays were also hosted on Walking in Winter, in conjunction with Haldimand On the
Move kits being distributed. The Library also distributed forms from the Hamilton-Niagara-Haldimand-Brant
Local Health Integration Network, soliciting feedback from members of the public on how the area’s health
care system could be improved. In September, the Library hosted Alzheimer Society of Canada coffee breaks,
helping to raise funds for the Alzheimer Society. Also in September, the Jarvis branch served as a pick-up
location for the Cancer Society’s “Relay for Life” Team Captain kits and hosted a Cancer Society display with
information kits;
Ongoing staff participation on the Haldimand Norfolk Literacy Team Committee, attending monthly meetings
to enhance literacy resources in our area;
Participating again in the Grand Erie District School Board’s “Best Start Parent Fair,” a kindergarten
orientation program at which a Library booth was set up to share information about the library’s resources
and services and sign up new members. Library staff also visited local elementary school classes in June to
promote the Library’s summer reading programs, teen writing competition and other library services. Interest
was expressed by a visually impaired student in participating in the CNIB reading program offered in
conjunction with the Library’s activities;
Continuing to deliver outreach programs at the Caledonia Ontario Early Years Centre, providing storytime
sessions and promoting the library to young participants and their parents. The Dunnville Branch also
participated as a voting station for the Early Years Niagara Regional Chair Literary Award. Patrons were able
to cast their votes at the branch for the winning book. As well, Library staff joined the Early Year’s Week of
the Child and Youth Committee to help organize local activities promoting child welfare. This year’s theme
was “celebration of laughter”, which included a children’s photography contest entitled “Laugh Out Loud”.
The Library served as a drop-off and pick-up location for children’s photographic entries.

Local Economic Growth and Opportunities
In 2009, the Library continued to play a valuable role in the improvement of economic opportunities for
individuals and small businesses in Haldimand County.
New Projects
A new partnership was forged with the Grand Valley Educational Society. The Library provided space at its
branches for Society displays which promoted post-secondary education in Haldimand County as well as
information on careers, support services and training grants for both the unemployed and underemployed.
GEVS assists residents in finding retraining opportunities, job searching and vocational guidance;
Library staff developed and implemented accessible customer service standards in accordance with the
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act;
Industry Canada Community Access Program (CAP) sustainability grant funds were used to purchase cable
upgrades at the Cayuga, Dunnville and Hagersville branches to improve Internet connectivity speeds. Funds
were also used to purchase Mango Languages, an online language-learning database, as well as larger
monitors and BrowseAloud text-to-speech software for public computers, making computer resources more
accessible for users with vision challenges. CAP Youth Employment grants were used to hire four youth
employees who delivered computer training to dozens of area residents;
ServiceOntario provincial grants were used to purchase an online subscription to Reference Canada, a
database which helps local businesses and job seekers research markets, find new prospects or suppliers, or
locate businesses, manufacturers or consumers anywhere in Canada. Monies were also used for local
newspaper advertisements promoting ServiceOntario resources and services, which include access to the
government’s Business Info Line, BizPAL services and business registration assistance;

The Library partnered with Canada Revenue Agency to host Home Renovation Tax Credit clinics at the Jarvis,
Caledonia and Dunnville branches.
The Caledonia branch hosted Community Living Haldimand’s book launch, celebrating 50 years of the service
agency’s history.
Ongoing Activities
Individuals and local entrepreneurs continue to take advantage of the Library’s public computer and Internet
access sites to conduct research, achieve personal development and enrichment, make contacts, and search
for employment opportunities. In 2009, library computers were used 17,100 times and its wireless
connections were accessed over 7,000 times. NetLoan computer reservation software was implemented at
the Dunnville, Cayuga, Hagersville, Jarvis and Selkirk branches, following its successful use at the Caledonia
branch in previous years.
The Library continued its partnership with the CNIB with displays at the Caledonia branch celebrating Louis
Braille’s 200 th birthday. The Library’s Braille resources, including a Braille printer, along with its hosting of the
display were discussed on a January 16 th CHCH Television news feature.
The Dunnville branch continued to host art exhibits, with works by photographer Kelly Bennett “Not Just for
Memories”, Dunnville Secondary School art class students, Wedgewood pottery displays, and Tea Time
artists’ watercolours and fabric art. The Caledonia branch also hosted local art instructor Nancy Ruttan’s
Student Art Show in May. Exhibits hosted by the Library foster the local art scene and many artists’ pieces
have been purchased by patrons.

Corporate Image and Efficient Government
New Projects
In 2008, Haldimand County Public Library was identified as one of sixteen public libraries in Ontario
demonstrating leadership in community development. Consultants prepared reports on each of
the sixteen libraries, and in 2009 the reports were posted on the Ontario Library Boards Association
website under “Learning from our Peers.” In addition to being commended for its partnerships and
literary programs, the Library is cited as exemplifying “a sustained strategic planning model
enabling a ‘system’ mentality that ensures equitable access and quality service at all six library
branches.”
In 2009 the Library partnered with the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation in Brantford. Links to the
Assessment Office’s new website “About My Property” were made available from the Library’s public
computers and its own website. The Library’s high speed Internet connections will enable residents who do
not have home Internet connections or who use slower, dial-up connections to more readily and quickly
access the site’s sophisticated resources, which include property assessment information and comparisons
and detailed maps.
To ensure Library services are delivered efficiently and to enhance professional knowledge among staff, the
following training was delivered in 2009:
Customer Service Accessibility
Developing Library Health & Safety Policies
Establishing & Growing Planned Giving Programs
MS Office (incl. Excel, Access, Word and Outlook)
CMS400 Web Content Management System
Symphony Introduction, Cataloguing and Administration
Internet Interests
Readers’ Advisory Online Tools
Project Management
FMW Corporate Budgeting Software
ELearn Network Presentation
Assistive Devices
Health & Safety Due Diligence
Ancestry Library Online Database
Respect in the Workplace
First Aid & AED
NetLoan Computer Booking System
Healthy & Safety Workplace Inspection
Techniques
Electronic Resources in Reference Work
Haldimand Abilities Centre Training
VITA Digitation Techniques
Resource Description & Access (RDA)
Summer Reading Program Orientation
Teen Collection Development

Ongoing Activities
The Library continued to support efforts made by other County divisions in the delivery of services to
residents. In June, libraries served as distribution centres for the County’s Community Survey Regarding
Environmental Noise;
The Jarvis branch hosted a Passport Clinic sponsored by Diane Finley’s office in June, providing valuable
passport application and renewal information to area residents;
To ensure attractive, safe and convenient facilities, the County’s Fleet and Facilities Division began
systematic preventative maintenance inspections of branches. Fire safety lock boxes were installed at each
library branch in 2009, for use by the County’s Emergency Services Division in emergencies. As well,
numerous repairs and improvements were made to library buildings this year:
Dunnville: stair tread repairs, fluorescent bulb replacements, exterior floodlight
breaker replacement, heater motor replacement, repair of third floor stairwell cables,
Harvard monument repairs by Fitzpatrck Monuments,
Cayuga: emergency light battery replacement, new furnace maintenance contract,
repair of entrance bench, rooftop air conditioning unit replacement, emergency exit
brickwork repairs,
Hagersville: entrance sign repairs, hot water heater fuse replacement,
Caledonia: air conditioning unit repairs, ceiling inspections and repairs, HVAC blower
motor replacement in meeting room, roof vapour barrier repairs, facility-wide carpet
cleaning, alarm system reconfigurations,
Jarvis: roof repairs, ceiling tile replacements, spring grounds clean-up, air conditioner
drain maintenance, furnace repairs, roof heat tracer installation, public washroom door
repair,
Selkirk: Hall Board installation of firewall in the entry, circulation hall, office and
washroom ceilings with lighting and ceiling tile upgrades; office repainting.