One Library Visit

Readers may be surprised to learn that it is not unusual for Library Board Trustees/Directors sometimes to visit other public Libraries while on vacation to learn about their experiences and services. I want to tell you about one that I have visited. The Stratford Public Library in Canada is, first of all, somewhat unique. It sits cozily in Stratford, Ontario, which itself is an enigma as a world-class center for all things Shakespeare at the center of an otherwise sprawling farm area. From Pittsburgh, eventually driving east-to-west in Ontario, one gets there through London; London in Ontario that is. Stratford’s population is about 30,000. It, like its namesake in England, is a mecca for visitors drawn by high culture. Stratford, Ontario is the bucolic home for Canada’s Stratford F…