Burlington Public Library: CEO’s Corner – Winter 2026

By Gazette Staff

January 7th, 2026

BURLINGTON, ON

Lita Barrie has an office: she prefers to be where the books are.

The public library has this to say for the year we are now into:

Welcome to 2026! As we reflect on another year gone by, there are so many moments and milestones that made 2025 a fantastic year. We were thrilled to welcome the community to our brand-new New Appleby Branch, offering three times the space as our former branch. We introduced free meeting room bookings, and expanded our do-it-yourself maker services at Alton and New Appleby branches.

We also released our 2026-27 strategic plan, our roadmap for the years ahead. To kick off the new year, I’m excited to share a preview of just a few of the new initiatives we have coming to BPL this year.

What’s Coming to BPL in 2026

There’s a lot to look forward to in the year ahead!

Launching Our Outdoor Play Collection

New in 2026, BPL will be launching a new Outdoor Play collection after transitioning the equipment from the City of Burlington. In the coming weeks, we’re looking forward to offering equipment to borrow for winter activities, such as snowshoeing.

Upgrading Our Children’s Areas

This year, we will be enhancing our children’s areas across all branches with new hands-on learning and play activities, as well as digital technology. Thank you to the generous donors who support the library through the Kids Learning Fund, monthly donations, and legacy gifts—we are extremely grateful for your support that makes these enhancements possible.

Expanding Our Reading Challenge

2025 wasn’t a perfect year. The Fire Department took back the huge bell that used to be displayed outside the north end of the library. The fire department wants to display the bell at their location.

We’re challenging Burlington to expand their horizons by reading 12 books this year, each on a theme! This year, we’ve expanded the challenge to include three new author talks related to the monthly themes.

Building New Social Connections

With support from a grant from Burlington Community Foundation, we’re planning to create opportunities for social connection through interactive shared experiences at select library branches. This is part of our work to connect the community together, creating social opportunities for people wouldn’t otherwise cross paths.

I want to extend a sincere thank you to everyone in the community who supported the library in 2025. Whether you borrowed a book, attended a program, or used library services, we are grateful that you’ve made the library part of your everyday life. We look forward to connecting with you this year!

Lita