Our team has been very hard at work helping the Waterloo Public Library reopen, and I had the pleasure of speaking with Anjana Kipfer, Manager, Marketing & Communications at the Waterloo Public Library. We spoke about all of the changes that have been made at the Waterloo Public Library during the pandemic, that will help them re-open safely.
Question One: Tell me a little bit about yourself! How long have you been with the company? What do you like to do outside of work?
Hi there! My name is Anjana Kipfer and I’m the Manager, Marketing & Communications at the Waterloo Public Library. I’ve been at WPL for almost 7 years and it is truly a fantastic place to work. Our marketing team at WPL is small, with myself and my two colleagues, Sandi Hall and Becky Roi, but we pack a mighty punch with our marketing efforts.
Question Two: Tell us a little bit about the library reopening?
The return of library services happened in two stages in alignment with the Province’s re-opening plans. First, we implemented our curbside pick-up service, WPL To Go, in mid-June, which was extremely popular over the course of its 2+ months duration. In early September, the library re-opened to the public and we invited people to browse and borrow items in person once again.
In each of these stages of re-opening, we wanted to provide enjoyable experiences to our customers, while keeping the wellbeing and safety of our staff and customers at the forefront of our planning.
Question Three: How were you involved with this project?
Our goal at WPL was to provide our customers with a safe and rewarding experience in all of their interactions with the library and our staff. This included providing clear instructional and directional signage on-site at our various locations, as well as digital materials. Staff at WPL worked diligently to ensure that best practices and protocols from Public Health were adhered to while creating new services and re-configuring the existing spaces. The marketing team was involved in all aspects of this planning.
Question Four: What are some of your highlights of the project so far?
We’ve had wonderful feedback from our customers about how the library has responded to our current environment. During our WPL To Go curbside pick-up, it was lovely to see customers in person (safely distanced, of course!) and since we’ve re-opened, it has been great to have people back in the library again. We are grateful for our customers and are thrilled that we could get library materials into their hands over the past few months.
We are also very proud of the staff at WPL – their dedication and resilience in a time of constant change is remarkable.
Question Five: Were there any challenges? How did you overcome them?
Like many other organizations, creating new ways & processes to deliver our services while information was changing, was challenging. It truly was staff teamwork, and the gratitude & co-operation from customers, that played a major role in overcoming challenges.
Questions Six: How did FASTSIGNS help you achieve your goals?
FASTSIGNS was a delight to work with. We had quick turnaround times and numerous requests which were handled by Laura H. both professionally and with kindness. We are very appreciative of your efforts and the quality of your work!
Question Seven: Is there anything else you want to tell our readers?
Things may look a little different right now but we are happy & excited to welcome people back to their library. As always, our Digital Library is available 24/7 and we have Virtual Programs for all ages. Discover what’s happening at WPL by visiting wpl.ca.
I want to say a huge thank you to Anjana Kipfer for taking the time to be part of our blog series. If you want to learn more about the Waterloo Public Library please check out wpl.ca . If you want to learn more about FASTSIGNS® of Kitchener-Waterloo and how we have helped businesses re-open, please visit us at https://www.fastsigns.com/681-kitchener-waterloo-on.