NEWS RELEASE
SPRINGWATER TOWNSHIP PUBLIC LIBRARY
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Gayle Hall, retired CEO of the Simcoe County Library Co-operative, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award to a standing ovation at the Ontario Public Library Association (OPLA) award gala in Toronto on Feb. 2, 2023.
Gayle was a trendsetter and was instrumental in bringing technology to the rural libraries in Simcoe County.
She implemented a joint library catalogue, Wi-Fi, Simcoe County Library app, and rotating circulating collections of LaunchPads, Playaways, and video games.
Her many awards include the Minister’s Award for Innovation in 2015 for website design and accessibility, the SirsiDynix Enterprise Ingenuity Award, the 2017 Newcomer Recognition Award as a community champion, and the 2018 Minister’s Award for Innovation for the Simcoe County Libraries Immigrant Hub project.
She was a member of multiple library associations such as Association of Rural and Urban Public Libraries of Ontario, SirsiDynix Libraries Users Group of Ontario, and the County of Simcoe chief librarians committee as well as community groups such as Simcoe County Cultural Network and the Local Immigration Partnership of Simcoe County.
She was a founding member of the #itstarts campaign and advocated for libraries across the county and province. Gayle was the CEO of the Simcoe County Library Co-operative from 2003 until her retirement in February 2022.
Many Simcoe County library CEOs attended the gala. As Janet Banfield, CEO, Ramara Township Public Library, states, “Gayle Hall more than deserves to receive recognition for all of the significant innovative work that she has done for the broader library sector, as well as for all of our communities in Simcoe County.”
While presenting the award, Jodie Player Delgado, CEO, Springwater Township Public Library, said, “Gayle Hall has dedicated her life to improving the quality of library service. I know of no one more deserving of the Lifetime Achievement Award than her.”
Congratulations to Gayle for her incredible achievements.
The Simcoe County Library Co-operative has transitioned to the Simcoe Digital Library Service to provide digital services to most Simcoe County libraries.
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