Kingston Frontenac Public Library Receives the W. Kaye Lamb Award for Service to Seniors

January 31, 2026

Congratulations to the Kingston Frontenac Public Library on receiving the 2025 W. Kaye Lamb Award for Service to Seniors!

Presented biennially, the award recognizes a library that has developed an ongoing service, programme, or procedure of benefit to seniors and/or a design and organization of buildings or facilities that improve access and encourage use by seniors.

The W.K. Lamb Award presented at Ontario Library Association, January 30, 2026

The Ex Libris Association is pleased to announce that the Kingston Frontenac Public Library will receive the W. K. Lamb 2025 award for their “Older Adults Hub” operating out of the library’s Rideau Heights Branch located in a low-income neighbourhood with limited services.

The Older Adults Hub was developed in partnership with Kingston Community Health Centres (KCHC) to provide an opportunity for all to be a part of their community in a positive way. A key part includes Monday morning Older Adults Day program that includes KCHC-facilitated Seniors Strength, Fitness & Balance Maintenance Exercise Group, a café for chatting, and a Super Seniors Speaker Series alongside the Library-facilitated Board Game Café, Monthly Book Club, Tech Tutor sessions and a mobile library that brings lending collections into the program space. Library staff reported successes beyond the program’s growth as seniors started to gain confidence and form relationships with each other and the program facilitators. Staff commented that the participants had found real friendships in the group. The ‘Hub’ model has provided multiple accessible programs that offer a variety of fun and free activities where they can meet with their neighbors. We strongly believe that it can be replicated in other libraries and community centres across the City and potentially across Ontario.

The library will receive $500, the W.K. Lamb Award plaque/certificate and an honorary Ex Libris Association membership.

As in recent years, when the awards notice resulted in a wide and varied response, the ELA Committee has recommended an Honourable Mention nominee. In keeping with this previous action the Edmonton Public Library be acknowledged for their inter-generational program, “Together We Grow.”

The Edmonton Public Library’s Together We Grow program expands the reach of the library’s services to underserved communities, reaching seniors who cannot visit the library due to mobility, memory, or other health issues while nurturing positive relationships between generations by bringing early literacy programming into retirement residences. This program provides engaging activities for seniors, especially those with memory care needs, and gives young children and their parents a chance to connect with another generation. By fostering empathy and understanding between age groups, Together We Grow seeks to combat senior’s social isolation and to help older adults find joy in interacting with the youngest members of our community, contributing to a more inclusive and connected community.

The Edmonton library will receive $100, an honourable mention certificate and honorary membership in the Ex Libris Association.

The selection process was difficult because all the submissions were worthy efforts to further the cause of service to seniors.

(Via Ex Libris Association)