During her first couple of months as the Library Director, Aubrey Walker has been hard at work to get the Jake Epp Library back to being a strong community space.
After serving as interim director, Walker officially took on the role of Library Director in February.
She is no stranger to the large public library having worked at there for 15 years, including the last decade as Assistant Director. Walker says stepping into the permanent leadership role in February has been a rewarding shift.
“I’m so excited,” Walker says. “The level of support that I have is absolutely amazing. And it means that we’re going to do great things.”
Library board chair confident in Walker’s leadership
Carolyn Graham, Chair of the Jake Epp Library Board and former library director, says the board is confident in Walker’s leadership and excited to see the library continue evolving under her guidance.
The two have worked together for several years, and Graham says she’s seen firsthand Walker’s commitment to the library and the community it serves. Graham also points out that the library board members are all fairly new, bringing to the table a lot of enthusiasm and determination to making the library a strong and vibrant centre for the community.
New business manager role created to support growth
To better support the library’s operations, a new role has been created — Business Manager. Walker says this change allows her to focus more on strategic direction and programming, while day-to-day financial responsibilities are handled by someone with a strong background in business.
“Libraries need someone who is passionate about the library world and someone who is great with finances — that’s a rare combo,” Walker explains. “So we decided to split the responsibilities and bring in two skilled people.”
Alyssa Pankratz has taken on the new Business Manager position, having started about five weeks ago. Walker says the partnership has already proven to be a good fit.
“She comes out with so many ideas,” says Walker. “We just work so well together to figure out, outside of the box, where we can go from here.”
Building a vibrant, welcoming space for the community
Walker says one of her top priorities is to keep the library vibrant, useful and accessible for everyone. She emphasizes the importance of the library as a “third space” — a community hub where people can gather, relax, and connect without needing to spend money.
“We want to make sure that we are a safe and vibrant community space,” Walker said. “We’re the one place that people can come and not spend money if they choose not to. That’s so important, and we want to stay strong in that.”
She noted that staff are full of creative ideas and use a “sticky ideas wall” in the staff area where suggestions for new programs and initiatives are constantly posted.
Walker says the library is planning a variety of new programming and fundraising initiatives in the coming months to help engage the public and continue building on the library’s strengths.
No easy way forward
The past few years have been challenging for the library, with frequent changes in the library director position and financial struggles.
Even though she knows there is a lot of work to do, Walker is not only confident in the future of the public library, but she is also excited for what lies ahead.