At Kitchener Public Library, the work goes far beyond books. Every day, the library supports the community in ways that often go unseen, from providing access to information and resources to creating inclusive spaces for learning, connection, and support. It plays a meaningful role in the day-to-day lives of residents across Kitchener.
With that responsibility in mind, KPL recently joined Capacity Canada’s Capacity by Design program to build on its work.
Introduced to the program by one of Capacity Canada’s Executive-In-Residence (EIR), Scott Williams, KPL saw an opportunity to bring more structure to an approach already rooted in people. As a public library, its focus has always been on those it serves, including staff, volunteers, and the broader community.
“When I heard about the Capacity by Design program, it felt like a natural fit,” said David Mason, Strategist, Inclusive Experiences at KPL. “At the time, we were looking to build more foundational knowledge in design thinking to support our human-centred design work.” David, along with colleague Kathryn Thompson, Manager of Strategy and Board Relations, joined the local cohort to explore how these approaches could be applied in practice and to connect with other Nonprofit organizations.
“People are core to the work we do as a public library,” he shared. “The act of taking concepts that we already use and formalizing them into a human-centred design methodology was exciting.”
The KPL joined the program to build a stronger foundation in design thinking. Since then, they’ve taken on a couple of internal projects. One focused on equity committees and advisory groups, and another on internal communications.
According to David, the design thinking process is not a quick fix. “It’s been a fantastic experience. While this work can take longer, taking the time is integral. Actively listening to people, including their experiences and ideas, leads to more informed decisions,” he says.
That approach has already helped the team better understand how staff and volunteers are feeling and has created greater clarity about where things need to go next.
David shared his experience so far with the program and highlighted what stood out and worked for KPL.
“EIRs Hugh and Liz were fantastic facilitators and took an intellectual concept of design thinking and made it practical. Being part of a local cohort really stood out for us. It was also a bonus that Capacity Canada has an office in Waterloo Region. Nonprofits working with other Nonprofits help expand networks, bridge understanding, and strengthen our community,” added David.
“What Liz Dennis and I enjoyed most about working with our most recent Capacity By Design cohort was seeing participants embrace the concepts and process of Human Centred Design to advance their projects and to share and help one another in our meetings. It contributed to a practical, collaborative learning experience that will serve the group well in their future work,” says Hugh Munro, Designer, Capacity by Design.
For the team at KPL, Capacity by Design has been a way to step back, reflect, and be more intentional about how decisions are made, keeping people at the centre every step of the way.
Capacity Canada is excited to see all that the Kitchener Public Library will accomplish this year!