NEWS RELEASE
NEWMARKET PUBLIC LIBRARY
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Newmarket library today proudly announced that Susan Hoffman is the recipient of the 2024 Children’s or Youth Services Librarian of the Year Award, an honour bestowed by the Ontario Public Library Association.
The award honours a children’s librarian who has made a positive impact on children and youth, colleagues and the wider community.
“We are thrilled that Susan has been recognized this year for her contribution to enhancing services for children and youth,” says Tracy Munusami, the library’s CEO. “She is an outstanding librarian: enthusiastic, caring and passionate about promoting literacy.”
Hoffman’s career as a children’s librarian began in Timmins, Ont. before she moved to Newmarket in 2002 to become Newmarket library’s head of children’s services. In her role, she introduced a number of initiatives for children and youth, including:
- A Reading Buddies program that matches mentors with young children struggling to read.
- Nature Backpacks that contain items for exploring nature and the outdoors with a selection of related children’s books.
- Gift of Words, a program that ensures the library’s collection has books and magazines appealing to tween males (nine to 13), who generally read less than girls in the same age group.
- Begin With Books, a campaign aimed at parents to encourage them to introduce reading to their child at an early age. Parents received a book bag with children’s board books.
A fervent advocate of reading to babies and preschoolers, Hoffman holds storytimes at the library and in the community. She has attended special community events to present storytimes, and regularly visits the Newmarket Welcome Centre, where she reads to the children of newcomers.
Each year, Hoffman oversees the library’s summer reading clubs for children and teens, which are designed to encourage young children to keep reading during summer vacation (recognized as a time when reading skills are known to decline).
“I’ve always felt the library can make a difference in the lives of children,” says Hoffman. “By providing engaging programs and encouraging a love of reading we help children develop literacy skills that are essential for success.”
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