Gerald Kleisinger
SASKATCHEWAN LIBRARY TRUSTEES' ASSOCIATION
Honouary Life Membership in
Recognition of
Gerald Kleisinger
As a Trustee of RPL for more than ten years, and President of the SLTA for the past 18 months, Gerald Kleisinger has been a tremendous asset to RPL and has made a real difference in the lives of patrons, his colleagues, and the library community.
During his time as a Regina City Councillor, Gerald was appointed to sit on the RPL Board for six consecutive years. After leaving the City, he was appointed in 2004 to the RPL Board. He was highly respected by his colleagues and peers, and widely recognized for his enthusiasm and passion for libraries.
It has been a lifelong belief of Gerald’s that libraries and those who serve them can make a difference in the lives of individuals, and during his tenure with RPL, his contributions as a trustee have been invaluable. He was present when RPL began offering Internet access to the public, and when the internationally acclaimed ESL Tutor Training Manual was created and later the Online Tutor Training began assisting people across North America. He was present at the opening of the relocated Prince of Wales Branch and the grand opening of the new Regent Place Branch. The list goes on and on.
In 2010 Gerald was acclaimed the SLTA Representative for the RPL Board of Directors, and in 2012 he was elected President of the SLTA. In this role it was his desire to bring the libraries together to work in a constant, concentrated manner to make libraries in Saskatchewan the best they can be. He consistently advocated on behalf of library officials across the province to regularly meet and discuss the future of our libraries. Gerald met numerous times with the sitting Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Education, advocating the value of libraries. He encouraged Trustees to work with their local politicians to keep them aware of the importance of their library and the role of literacy within their community.
Gerald was instrumental in placing Saskatchewan libraries at the forefront of the technological revolution. He sought out and invited guest speakers to the annual SLA Conferences to ensure that libraries in the province were well informed and educated on the innovative changes taking place around globe and in their back yards. Furthermore, he developed and implemented the SLTA Library Promotion Campaign. He wanted to "make some noise" and draw attention to libraries in the province. This was a huge undertaking for the SLTA, and the work will be continued in 2015 by his SLTA colleagues.
Gerald was as a school principal, an educational psychologist, and a university lecturer. A lifelong educator with a professional teaching certificate and a Master of Arts, Gerald has written numerous articles on child development and educating children. He continues to serve on the Regina Catholic School Board as a Trustee.
Gerald’s unwavering commitment to his community and the belief in fostering lifelong learning opportunities for every person in the province is commendable.