Policies

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

The Innisfil ideaLAB & Library is committed to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. Libraries have a responsibility to create an environment and contribute to a culture that respects people’s dignity, ideas and beliefs and in which individuals can participate, maximize their contributions, and achieve their full potential.

Our Library aims to demonstrate support for the dignity of all community members, customers, employees, volunteers, and partners regardless of heritage, ability, education, beliefs, race, income, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental capabilities, and other characteristics that make individuals unique.   

We believe that respectful dialogue builds understanding and stronger communities. We strive to encourage mutual respect, inclusion, and celebration of differences by embracing cultural humility as a key foundation to our approach. Cultural humility is a practice of self-reflection to understand personal and systemic biases and to develop and maintain respectful processes and relationships based on mutual trust.  

We understand too that the acceptance of differences can place individual and collective values in conflict with one another.  We encourage the community to recognize, respect, and embrace each individual’s diversity.  We believe that by working together we can move from simply acknowledging diversity and inclusion to enabling an environment that is supportive, accessible, and equitable in its practices.

Innisfil ideaLAB & Library will make diversity and inclusion a priority in planning and decision making for staffing, collections, programs, services and organizational change.

Learn more about our commitment by reviewing the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Policy.

Learn about our commitment to Truth & Reconciliation and our response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

Our Commitment to Intellectual Freedom

Intellectual Freedom

Your public library protects your right to choose for yourself what to read, what programs to attend, and what services to use. This allows everyone to explore and learn about a variety of topics, even controversial or unpopular ones. The Innisfil ideaLAB & Library protects your Intellectual Freedom by providing access to a wide range of materials, resources, and programs, and by upholding the individuals’ right to read and think freely. 

As a cornerstone of democracy, Intellectual Freedom is protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (section 2B), and is a key element of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article19). 

The Innisfil ideaLAB & Library endorses the Ontario Library Association’s Statement on Intellectual Freedom and the Intellectual Rights of the Individual, and their Position on Children’s Rights in the Library and Teens Rights in the Library. 

Board Policies
Collection Policies

In-Library Displays

The Library displays physical materials, including various print formats and media, in all its Branches. The Library also shares information about materials in its Collections through promotions using various communication methods, including the Library’s website and social media accounts. The Library strives to include a wide spectrum of opinions and viewpoints in Library-initiated displays and promotions, as well as highlight materials that appeal to a range of ages, interests, and information needs. Materials will not be excluded from display or promotion because the specific title/item, creator, topic, or content may be considered controversial.

Requests for Reconsideration

While professional staff are available to discuss the make-up of the collection, the Library is only obliged to withdraw material judged illegal by the higher courts in Canada. Requests for Reconsideration will adhere to the following guidelines: 

  • Requests will only be accepted by residents of Innisfil who are active cardholders.
  • Requests must be submitted using the process outlined in the Collections Policy 
  • The Library will respond in writing within ten business days, and a decision will be made and communicated to the submitter within three months from the date of receipt. 
  • A given title/item will be reviewed no more than once in a three-year period, regardless of the number of Reconsideration Requests received by the Library. 
  • Items will continue to remain available to the public in the Library’s collection while under review, except when needed by Staff for the purposes of assessment. 
  • A maximum of 10 items will be reviewed in a given calendar year, subject to change depending on the level of complexity involved in assessing each item. 
  • The Library is unable to reconsider specific materials available through third party vendors.
Employment Policies
Program and HackLAB Policies

Programming is provided as a core part of the Library’s mission and is developed to promote use of library resources and services, and to promote universal and equitable access to a broad range of knowledge, experiences, information and ideas. Staff use a diversity and inclusion lens in all aspects of programming, and seek to champion and support equity seeking groups, including but not limited to Indigenous, BIPOC, 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

Programs are open to all, unless the goals or location of the program requires limits by age or on the number of participants to ensure the best possible experience for attendees.

The general public may recommend topics or speakers for consideration. Programming requests from community members or outside agencies will be gathered through the Program Proposal Form (Appendix A of the Program Policy).

All Policies A to Z