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Friend of the library recognized
Iqaluit's Catherine Hoyt was recently awarded the Council of the Federation Literacy Award

Miranda Scotland
Northern News Services
Published Monday, September 16, 2013

IQALUIT
After her first year of university, Catherine Hoyt started a summer job that would lead her to be honoured by the premier of Nunavut years later.

NNSL photo/graphic

Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Hunter Tootoo, left, and Commissioner of Nunavut Edna Elias pose with the 2013 recipients of The Order of Nunavut: Louis Angalik, Sr. of Arviat, Davidee Arnakak of Pangnirtung and Jimmy Akavak of Iqaluit. The order is the highest honor of Nunavut and presented to individuals who have provided an outstanding contribution to the cultural, social or economic well-being of the territory. - Myles Dolphin/NNSL photo

While working at a library in Fredericton, N.B., running story time for children, she came across a career she hadn't really thought of pursuing before.

"I always loved to read I was an avid library user, but once I had that first summer job I was hooked," said Hoyt.

"And I thought, 'It's right. People always told me I should be a librarian, I think I will.' And that really changed the course of what I had chosen to do for a career."

From there Hoyt received a Bachelor of Arts degree at St. Thomas University, and then went on to get a library and information science master's degree at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Fast forward to 2013 and Eva Aariak is presenting her with the Council of the Federation Literacy Award for her volunteer work as chairperson of the Friends of the Iqaluit Centennial Library. The council of the Federation comprises Canada's 13 provinces and territorial premiers.

The award is presented annually to a resident who has worked to strengthen language and literacy skills in their community.

"Catherine has helped improve services at the library and programs held there that often exceed maximum capacity," said Aariak.

Hoyt, who grew up in the North, moved to Iqaluit in 2006 with her husband and 18-month-old daughter.

While staying home with her child, she decided to put her degree to good use by volunteering at the library.

She started by running preschool story time, the institution's only program at that point, on Tuesday mornings.

"It was perfect because I was a professional librarian and looking for something to sort of keep me connected with the library and literacy world."

Hoyt later became the chair of the library board, now Friends of the Iqaluit Centennial Library, and worked with the other members to grow the library's programming and volunteer base.

They started by adding an Inuktitut literacy program one Saturday a month, then expanded to provide different types of activities every Saturday.

They also added an evening family program once a month.

"Some Saturdays we have two programs because we have so many programs running now. We try to have lots of different things going at the library, something for everybody," said Hoyt.

"We're really trying to appeal to as wide a segment of the community as we can."

Visitors to the library can now participate in activities offered in English, Inuktitut and French for various age groups.

It's amazing how much the programming has been expanded, said Hoyt, stressing that it's been a group effort.

It couldn't have happened without the library staff and the volunteers who have given their time, she added.

The library doesn't have the money to hire enough people to offer all the various programs so volunteers, like Hoyt, are essential.

"Really it's been extremely rewarding," said Hoyt.

"When we look at what we accomplished in the previous year, we're always impressed. We've grown every year. As a group we're very satisfied with the direction we're moving in and we continually try to adapt and improve."

Hoyt was nominated for the Council of the Federation Literacy Award by two library users.

It's a great honour, she said.

"It really makes a difference to volunteers when you hear a kind word. When a parent says, 'Thank you so much for doing this program, my child loves it' or 'We love coming to the library. We read so much more at home now'," said Hoyt.

"It makes everybody feel good."

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