The Whitby Public Library Board has introduced a new membership option specifically for Indigenous individuals living on reserves in Ontario – making it the first library board in Durham Region to take this step.
This new membership category, which received unanimous approval, eliminates the out-of-region fee for obtaining a library card.
“The library acknowledges that this land is home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples,” said Liam Nichols, Chair of the Whitby Public Library Board. “Our hope is by removing access barriers for Indigenous people throughout Ontario, we are contributing to reconciliation and fostering an understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.”
The announcement coincides with Canada’s celebration of Indigenous History Month.
“One of our core values is intellectual freedom,” said Whitby Public Library CEO Rhonda Jessup. “Ensuring access to materials that reflect Indigenous histories and cultures represents intellectual freedom while fostering truth-telling and historical understanding.”
This new change to the library’s borrowing policy upholds its responsibility to make services accessible while reducing barriers and supporting Indigenous knowledge systems and perspectives.
The Whitby Public Library has been connecting people to welcoming spaces, ideas, information, and each other since 1911.
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