2023 Ottawa Valley Tourist Association Event of the Year Award for the 2022 Multicultural Festival
The Pembroke Multicultural Festival is the only cultural event of its kind in the Ottawa Valley. The theme for Multicultural Festival 2022 was togetherness, and the festival broke down barriers and misunderstandings through the common language of food, music, and art which allowed participants to focus on what unites, rather than what divides. The event brought the community and visitors together to celebrate diversity and inclusion.
2022 Shortlisted for the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport’s Innovation Award for Diversity and Inclusion
The library was shortlisted for this award because of our celebration of the diversity of the city, while providing space and inclusive spaces for all community to proudly express their culture, heritage and identity. Events include the Multicultural Festival (the largest of its kind in Pembroke’s history), Drag Queen Storytime (first ever in Renfrew County), Bonnechere Inodewiziwin Abinodjinish Kikinamagan’s (BIAK) myths and legends, and food drive with the Grind Pembroke. There has been a noticeable cultural shift in Renfrew County and our library is proud to be an inspiration.
2021 TD Summer Reading Club Third Prize
In 2021 the Pembroke Public Library’s TD Summer Reading club was recognized as deserving of Third prize for efforts in integrating technology and social media into the program. As well, the Library made literacy an integral part of the program through activities that fostered vocabulary building (such as crafting) as well as virtual and outdoor story times that focused on representing diversity and encouraging bilingualism.
2018 Certificate of Accreditation
In November 2018 Pembroke Public Library met the conditions for accreditation as set down by the Ontario Public Library Guidelines Monitoring and Accreditation Council. As detailed on the Certificate of Accreditation, the Pembroke Public Library’s accreditation is effective until December 31, 2023.
2014 TD Summer Reading Club Honorable Mention
In 2014 the Pembroke Public Library’s TD Summer Reading Club was recognized as deserving of an honourable mention for efforts in developing an interest in books and reading among the children in our area.