Olive Tree Foundation awards grant to enhance library collection in Thunder Bay

The Olive Tree Foundation has awarded a grant to the Thunder Bay Public Library (TBPL) so that the library system in the city could offer a more diverse collection of material representative of the community they serve.

“The grant from the Olive Tree Foundation has enabled the Library to develop a wide range of books and audio-visual materials which deepen and enhance the diversity of our collection,” said Angela Meady MLS, Director of Collections, Thunder Bay Public Library. “With a modest budget for collections, which is under scrutiny for cutting each year, I would otherwise not have been able to provide such a broad and rich variety of books and media.”

“Examples of material that the Library will acquire as a result of the grant from the Olive Tree Foundation include books authored by Muslim writers which can provide both a mirror and reflection of lived experiences for some and a window into another's life and environment for others; books for children in Arabic and English and Ojibwe and English; books tackling the topic of Islamophobia and confronting the mistruths and distortions which have proliferated; books and DVDs on the topic of climate change, including Indigenous perspectives on land governance and caring for the earth,” added Angela Meady TBPL Director of Collections,

“Public Libraries play an important role in addressing social justice issues, including racism, Islamophobia, and climate change,” said Usman Hameed, a Director of the Olive Tree Foundation.”We are pleased to provide this grant to the Thunder Bay Public Library to enhance the library’s collection and which will contribute in a meaningful way in confronting racism and harmful narratives in literature and history.”

The Thunder Bay Public Library (TBPL), over its 50-year history, has transformed itself from a stand-alone public library system to a true multiple-use community hub model. The libraries in the TBPL system serve a population of 125,000, with over 30,000 active users each year.

The Olive Tree Foundation is a philanthropic foundation that promotes community development through the collection of endowed funds and charitable contributions to fund services for the long-term benefit of the community.