Waterloo Library Shortlisted for Provincial Innovation Award

http://www.wpl.ca/site/home/innovation_award_2006.asp

The Waterloo Public Library has been shortlisted for a provincial award that recognizes innovation in public library service. The announcement was made by Culture Minister Caroline di Cocco at the official launch of Ontario Public Library Week.

WPL has been shortlisted for the 2006 Minister’s Award for Innovation, one of two library awards given by the Minister each year. WPL was recognized in the large library category for its Get Blogging! initiative, which uses weblogs to educate the community about new technologies, to share information and to create a dialogue on information issues with the community.

Toronto, Windsor and Orillia were also shortlisted, along with Waterloo, in the large library category.

Chief Librarian Cathy Matyas says that WPL has logged almost 6,000 visits to its weblogs, from close to home in Waterloo and as far away as Africa, Australia and Malaysia.

“We’re frequently contacted by other libraries from Canada and the United States,” she says, “and asked to share our experience with other libraries who are interested in setting up blogs and maximizing the use of new technologies to interact with the community.”

The winner of the Ontario Public Library Service Award for Innovation will be announced in February 2007, in Toronto.

Get Blogging: http://www.wpl.ca/site/ebranch/blogging_tips.asp

Rock on Waterloo!