PICKERING, ON – June 5, 2026 - Pickering Public Library is proud to announce it has received national recognition for its exceptional delivery of the 2025 TD Summer Reading Club, earning third place in Canada for the TD Summer Reading Club Library Awards, English program, presented by Library and Archives Canada.
This prestigious honour recognizes outstanding leadership in promoting literacy and reading engagement among children and youth through creative, innovative, and impactful programming. The award highlights Pickering Public Library’s continued commitment to fostering a love of reading and lifelong learning within the community.
The TD Summer Reading Club is Canada’s largest bilingual summer reading program for children, designed to inspire young readers through interactive programming, activities, and community engagement throughout the summer months. In 2025, Pickering Public Library’s program stood out nationally for its creativity, accessibility, and community impact. More than 1000 children registered for the program and collectively logged over 86,500 minutes of reading throughout the summer. The library delivered 75 engaging programs that welcomed over 3000 attendees.
This national recognition reflects the dedication, innovation, and collaborative spirit of staff who worked to deliver a memorable and enriching experience for young readers throughout the summer. Special recognition is extended to the Pickering Public Library Children’s team for the successful planning and execution of the program, and all staff who contributed to the program’s success.
“We are incredibly proud to receive this national recognition,” said Shobha Oza, (Acting) CEO/Director of Public Libraries. “This achievement speaks to the passion and creativity of our staff, and their commitment to creating meaningful literacy experiences for children and families in our community. Programs like the TD Summer Reading Club play an important role in inspiring curiosity, imagination, and a lifelong love of reading.”
For more information about The TD Summer Reading Club Library Awards visit tdsummerreadingclub.ca/staff/library-awards.
For more information about Pickering Public Library’s Summer Reading Club visit pickeringlibrary.ca/summerreading
Media Contacts:
Sabrina Yung
Manager of Marketing and Community Relations
Pickering Public Library
905.831.6265 extension 6253
sabrinayung@pickeringlibrary.ca
Pickering Public Library is an award-winning library serving 118,000 City of Pickering residents across 33,000 households with over 46,000 active library card accounts. Operating under the guidance of a Board of Directors, the library is primarily funded through municipal contributions and is comprised of four locations that provide excellence in client experience.
Staff are committed to making a difference within the community. The library lends over 550,000 physical items, receives over 495,000 visits, delivers events for over 19,000 attendees, conducts over 100,000 digital learning sessions, and delivers over 23,000 public computer sessions each year.
Pickering Public Library’s Vision:
Explore ideas.
Connect communities.
Embrace possibilities.
Build the future
Pickering Public Library’s Mission:
To inspire a thriving community and be a place where everyone comes together to discover, learn, play and connect.