Caledon Public Library receives Ontario Public Library Service Award

February 12, 2026 · 0 Comments

Caledon Public Library (CPL) has been awarded the 2025 Ontario Public Library Service Award for its project Caledon Connections: Leveraging Partnerships to Support Community.

The Ontario Public Library Service Awards recognize Ontario’s public libraries for their creative service ideas. Within them are two awards, the Angus Mowat Award of Excellence and the Minister’s Award for Innovation, each with categories for large, medium, and small libraries.

CPL was awarded the Minister’s Award for Innovation, which recognizes successful new approaches that demonstrate a positive impact in a community and are of continued value to public libraries.

In 2024, CPL and Caledon Community Services (CCS) partnered to bring Caledon Connections to the community by embedding CCS employment and community support staff within CPL’s Albion Bolton, Caledon East, and Southfields Village Branches.

Jill Jambor, manager of communications and cultural development with CPL, says that the Caledon Connections project began to address a pressing local challenge.

“CCS faced the challenge of delivering easily accessible services to all Caledon residents while having physical space only in Bolton,” says Jambor. “CPL branches, already recognized as safe, welcoming hubs across Caledon’s diverse and geographically vast community, provided a natural solution.”

Jambor explains that by delivering services in library branches and leveraging CPL’s existing infrastructure, CCS can better support community members, including those facing geographic, financial, and social barriers.

CCS began delivering weekly employment, training, and community resources in the library’s accessible spaces, ensuring residents can access services close to home.

“Benefits are twofold,” she says. “Residents also benefit from all of the library’s resources, including online skill-building tools, public computers and Wi-Fi, and friendly staff offering help in finding resources and using technology.”

“This partnership not only responds to today’s needs but also creates a sustainable, long-term model for collaboration, ensuring continued value for public libraries and the communities they serve,” says Jambor.

“This award affirms the library’s role as a trusted community hub,” said Colleen Lipp, CEO and chief librarian of CPL. “Winning at the provincial level recognizes the real difference this partnership is making for residents and reinforces the power of libraries to connect people with the support they need, close to home.”

Through the initiative, they can offer services such as job search support, training, and settlement assistance directly in library spaces.

“Libraries are far more than places to borrow books; they are vital community connectors,” said Geraldine Aguiar, CCS’s executive director. “Working alongside Caledon Public Library has allowed us to expand our reach and better support residents across Caledon.”

Since the program’s launch, CPL states that hundreds of residents have accessed CCS services through the library, with many securing employment or being connected to additional community supports.

CPL also shared testimonies from those who have benefited from the partnership with CCS.

“I would like to share that the presence of Caledon Community Services in the library has been very beneficial to me. Its convenient location near my home made it easier to access, and I was able to obtain the materials I needed without difficulty,” says one resident.

“I wanted to take a moment to share my appreciation for the support and services provided through Caledon Community Services. With the collaboration at Southfields Library [Branch], everything has become much more approachable and accessible. It is now easier to book appointments and gain clear guidance regarding both study and career opportunities. Because of this, I feel more confident in planning my goals and moving forward,” says another.

For those who would like to connect with Caledon Community Services about its services, email info@ccs4u.org.

And, if you would like to connect with the library about the services they offer, visit a branch, call (905) 857 1400, or email reference@caledon.library.on.ca.