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Vegreville Welcomes New Library Manager
Vegreville Welcomes New Library Manager
Rosanne Fortier - News Correspondent
There is a new face sitting in the office of Vegreville Centennial Library. Anayo Ugboma came from Calgary where he began working remotely as Manager on January 20.
Ugboma now lives in Vegreville, which he enjoys as he admits the people are very warm, kind, and friendly.
He wanted to pursue a career as a librarian because of his passion for accessing information. “I grew up facing challenges in accessing information, which is why I pursued education in this field.”
Ugboma shared that he regularly spends time online researching articles. He enjoys reading non-fiction books and articles the most. “Biographies are my favorite because they allow me to learn from the experiences of those I admire. They motivate me.”
He started working in libraries with his first role at an academic school in Japan, where he worked for several years, which was followed by volunteering at a Japanese University Library for a few more years. After attending college, he managed several libraries in the province.
On what is special about working at a library, Ugboma expressed it is the people as he saw in the movie called, “The Boy That Harnessed the Wind”, a film about droughts in Africa, where people struggled with food storages. This young boy sought to solve this issue but didn’t know how to access the necessary information. Although he wasn’t a student, he gained access to the school library, found the information he needed, and discovered a way to bring water to his village. As a librarian, the movie highlighted the crucial role libraries play in improving lives.
Ugboma expressed, “I believe that libraries are the jewels of towns and cities, often underappreciated for the direct and indirect value they offer to the communities. They function as the heart of communities, providing a social space for people to come together. As Ugboma puts it, “We offer a welcoming space where people can do all sorts of things, from social gatherings to cooling off or warming up when the weather is too hot or too cold outside.”
Ugboma envisions enhancing the library by better understanding its current connections with other community partners. “Through this initiative, we aim to draw more people to the library.”
