Make New Friends, But Keep The Old: Introducing Digital Innovation Services at the Toronto Public Library

Abstract

Toronto Public Library has embarked on a significant series of organizational, operational, and service delivery changes to offer more technology based services to customers, while maintaining traditional public library services. This paper explores three approaches to staff roles, branch design, and user education that have been successfully introduced in the last two years. The introduction of 3D printing and design services in 2014 at the Toronto Reference Library have been expanded to include mid-sized neighbourhood branches as well as mobile Pop-Up Learning Labs. The role of partnerships with the maker communities and technology companies can be applied to other public libraries.