The Ex Libris Association is pleased to announce that the Kingston Frontenac Public Library received the W. K. Lamb 2025 award for its “Older Adults Hub” operating out of the library's Rideau Heights Branch located in a low-income neighbourhood with limited services. ELA President David Harvie and W. Kaye Lamb Committee member Donna Burton presented the Award to KFPL Chief Librarian and CEO Laura Carter at the OLA Library Awards Gala in Toronto on January 29, 2026.
The Older Adults Hub was developed in partnership with Kingston Community Health Centres (KCHC) to provide an opportunity for all to be a part of their community in a positive way. A key part includes the Monday morning Older Adults Day program that includes KCHC-facilitated Seniors Strength, Fitness & Balance Maintenance Exercise Group, a café for chatting, and a Super Seniors Speaker Series alongside the Library-facilitated Board Game Café, Monthly Book Club, Tech Tutor sessions and a mobile library that brings lending collections into the program space. Library staff reported successes beyond the program’s growth as seniors started to gain confidence and form relationships with each other and the program facilitators. Staff commented that the participants had found real friendships in the group. The 'Hub' model has provided multiple accessible programs offering a variety of fun and free activities where they can meet their neighbours. We strongly believe that it can be replicated in other libraries and community centres across the City and potentially across Ontario.
The library will receive $500, the W.K. Lamb Award plaque/certificate and an honorary Ex Libris Association membership.
As in recent years, when the awards notice resulted in a wide and varied response, the ELA Committee has recommended an Honourable Mention nominee. In keeping with this previous action, the Edmonton Public Library is acknowledged for its inter-generational program, “Together We Grow.”
The Edmonton Public Library's Together We Grow program expands the reach of the library’s services to underserved communities, reaching seniors who cannot visit the library due to mobility, memory, or other health issues, while nurturing positive relationships between generations by bringing early literacy programming into retirement residences. This program provides engaging activities for seniors, especially those with memory care needs, and gives young children and their parents a chance to connect with another generation. By fostering empathy and understanding between age groups, Together We Grow seeks to combat seniors’ social isolation and to help older adults find joy in interacting with the youngest members of our community, contributing to a more inclusive and connected community.
The Edmonton library will receive $100, an honourable mention certificate and honorary membership in the Ex Libris Association.
The selection process was difficult because all the submissions were worthy efforts to further the cause of service to seniors.
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W.K. Lamb Award presented at Ontario Library Association on Friday January 26, 2024
Presentation by Dick Ellis on intellectual freedom at the ELA AGM, Nov. 6 2023
On November 6th, Dick Ellis made a presentation via Zoom on intellectual freedom for members attending the ELA annual general meeting.
His presentation outlined current issues and addressed problems libraries face with the issues of drag story times, controversial speakers in public libraries, and, of course, “offensive” books in school libraries. His presentation has been reworked at a PDF and can be accessed at this link.