Email Pickering Public Library Board
The Board normally holds its regular public meetings on the fourth Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm.
Please note, due to the current COVID-19 impacts and restrictions, the Pickering Public Library Board meetings will be facilitated online.
Members of the public are welcome to virtually attend the meeting but must register in advance. This step is to provide security for the meeting. The information collected will not be retained and will only be used in case of a meeting disruption.
If you wish to attend a meeting as a delegate (i.e. address the Board on a particular issue), please indicate as such when registering or email the Pickering Public Library Board.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. When you log into the meeting you will be placed in a waiting room until the public portion of the meeting begins. Please be patient as it may be a few minutes before you can join the meeting. Your microphone will be muted but you will be able to watch and listen to the meeting.
For questions regarding the online Pickering Public Library Board meetings, please contact us at help@pickeringlibrary.ca.
2021 Meeting Schedule
Thursday, January 28 - ONLINE |
July NO MEETING TO BE HELD |
Thursday, February 25 - ONLINE |
August NO MEETING TO BE HELD |
Thursday, March 25 - ONLINE | Thursday, September 23 - ONLINE |
Thursday, April 22 - ONLINE | Thursday, October 28 - ONLINE |
Thursday, May 27 - ONLINE | Thursday, November 25 - ONLINE |
Thursday, June 17 - ONLINE | Thursday, December 16 - ONLINE |
2020 Meeting Schedule
Special Board Meeting - January 9 - Central Library January Special Board Meeting Minutes Special January Board Meeting Package Thursday, January 23 - Central Library Minutes |
Thursday, July 23 - ONLINE Minutes |
Thursday, February 27 - Central Library Minutes February Board Package |
Thursday, September 24 - ONLINE |
Thursday, March 26 - Central Library Cancelled |
Thursday, October 22 - ONLINE |
Thursday, April 23 - ONLINE Minutes April Board Package |
Thursday, November 26 - ONLINE |
Thursday, May 28 - ONLINE Minutes May Board Package |
No Board meeting held in December |
Thursday, June 25 - ONLINE Minutes June Board Package |
Current Library Board
Sarah Jeffrey Sheehy (Board Chair)
Sarah Jeffrey Sheehy has extensive non-profit management experience and spent over 15 years building affordable housing with both Habitat for Humanity and Options for Homes here and abroad. Sarah joined the Board in 2016 as she believes that the library is a vital resource for the residents of Pickering. As Board Chair, Sarah looks forward to mobilizing the community to build the Next Generation Library.
Councillor Maurice Brenner (Board Vice Chair)
Councillor Maurice Brenner has been elected 9 terms representing Ward 1. He is a graduate of Ryerson in Social Services and is a recipient of the Queens Diamond Jubilee Award recognizing his contributions and leadership in Human Rights, Diversity and Community Engagement.
Mary K. Anderson
Mary K. Anderson, a returning Library Board member, has been a resident of Pickering for over 25 years. Mary K. is a strong believer in volunteerism and community service. During her 35 years as an educator she strived to impart this philosophy to her students. Mary K’s main focus in community service has centered around the Canadian women’s organization IODE.
Dianne Barham
Dianne Barham has been a Pickering resident for over 17 years. She has over twenty years of Human Resources experience including training, recruitment, and policy development. She continues to be an active community volunteer with various non-profit organizations for over 20 years.
Shawn Byron Beckett
Shawn has been a Pickering resident his entire life and a Pickering Public Library member for nearly as long! He looks forward to helping the library meet the evolving needs of the community during this exciting period of growth. Shawn graduated with distinction from Trinity College, University of Toronto, and is currently completing dual JD/MBA degrees from Osgoode Hall Law School and the Schulich School of Business.
Ruvette Coelho
Ruvette Coelho has served as Chair and Vice Chair of the PPL Board as well as a member of the Library’s Teen Advisory Group. She is a healthcare professional within Durham Region and is passionate about education, health, social causes, public service, travelling, reading, arts, culture, and racquet sports.
Councillor Ian Cumming
Councillor Ian Cumming was first elected as City Councillor, Ward 2 in 2014. His personal passion for community health and safety, the environment, and renewable energies inspired him to be a voice for Pickering residents. Ian's 40-year business background in the technology and commercial banking sectors fuels his drive to enhance business retention and promote economic development in Pickering.
Mahjabeen Fatema
As a socially responsible and active member of the community for over ten years, Mahjabeen Fatema (Fatema) is currently involved with the Pickering Islamic Centre as an Educational Professional and the President of the Sister's Committee. Fatema is honoured and excited to be a part of the Pickering Public Library Board that involves helping people navigate, select, and analyze a perpetually growing body of information.
Akeem Maginley
Akeem Maginley and his family have been Pickering residents in Ward 3 for more than five years. As a career public servant, he is committed to service values, integrity and ethics and believes in the continued development of an adaptive, inclusive, and vibrant library for Pickering’s future. Akeem is a graduate of the University of Toronto [Hon. Bachelor of Arts] and York University [Masters Degree in Public Policy, Administration and Law].
Doodnauth Sharma
Doodnauth is a licensed Professional Engineer (P. Eng.) with the Province of Ontario, and holds a Masters of Engineering Degree and a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute. He believes in giving back to the community by volunteering and contributes to many community organizations. Doodnauth sees the library as an important community resource that needs to be explored and utilized to its fullest potential.
Becoming a Member of the Library Board
Library Board members are appointed by Council either after an election or when a Board seat becomes vacated. Advertisements of such vacancies are posted on the Library and City web sites and are posted in the News Advertiser. Interested citizens must submit their applications through the City of Pickering website to the City Clerk, when available. To determine suitability for the role, candidates are encouraged to read the Board's policies.
Library Board Governance Policies
The Pickering Public Library formally adopted the Policy Governance (c) model in September 2001. A current listing of the policies and the accompanying monitoring schedule can be found below:
Executive Limitations Policies
EL 01 General Executive Constraint Policy
EL 02 Treatment of Clients Policy
EL 05 Financial Planning Policy
EL 06 Financial Conditions & Activities Policy
EL 07 Emergency Executive Succession Policy
EL 10 Communication & Counsel to Board
Governance Process Policies
GP 01 Global Governance Commitment Policy
GP 03 Board Job Description Policy
GP 04 Board Members' Code of Conduct Policy
GP 06 Board Committee Principles Policy
GP 07 Board Committee Structure Policy
GP 09 Governance Investment Policy
GP 10 Principles and Guidelines for Board Members
Board-CEO Delegation Policies
BCD 01 Global Board-CEO Delegation Policy
BCD 02 Unity of Control Policy
BCD 03 Accountability of the CEO Policy