Library worker profiles

As part of Canadian Library Month, CUPE is presenting stories from members of the National Library Workers’ Committee to highlight and celebrate the different roles CUPE library workers play in promoting literacy in their communities.

Part of my job as a library worker at the A.C. Hunter Public Library branch in St. John’s involves delivering library materials to community members enrolled in the program. I deliver books in regular and large print, talking books, and audio books. When a patron hasn’t indicated what type of materials they would like to receive, I always start by providing them with regular print books, until I meet them and have an opportunity to understand their unique needs.

I’m a library technician working with students in grades 5-8 at Maplehurst Middle School in Moncton, New Brunswick. Everyday I talk with students about what they are reading or want to read. By taking time to build relationships with students, I get to know them and learn about their interests. These connections enable me to share individualized book recommendations that are intriguing, exciting, and capture their imaginations!

I’m a librarian at Bay View High School in Upper Tantallon, Nova Scotia. Prior to working at Bay View, I worked at Millwood High School, home to 800 students in Middle Sackville. In 2018, a review of Millwood’s grade 10 provincial exam results showed that student writing scores had been dropping over the previous three years.

As part of Canadian Library Month, CUPE is presenting stories from members of the National Library Workers’ Committee to highlight and celebrate the different roles CUPE library workers play in promoting literacy in their communities.

As part of Canadian Library Month, CUPE is presenting stories from members of the National Library Workers’ Committee to highlight and celebrate the different roles CUPE library workers play in promot

Toronto Public Library workers help to support literacy in numerous ways. We keep kids engaged with reading and learning throughout the summer months to set them up for success in life and school. We offer early literacy support to parents and children aged 0-5. We help seniors and older adults access a wide range of technologies. We also provide programs that connect people to various cultures, empower people to participate in civic engagement, promote financial and health literacy, and the list goes on.

School, public, and post-secondary education libraries house vast numbers of learning resources in print and electronic format that people can borrow and browse at their leisure. The resources provide equal access for all to information, knowledge, and culture. They help promote literacy and shape new ideas and perspectives that are central to a creative, innovative, healthy, and prosperous society.

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CUPE’s over 22,000 library workers provide front-line services to communities in every province across the country. Members are employed by public library boards, municipalities, universities, colleges, and school boards.