On today’s episode, we speak with Alain Dancyger, Executive Director of the Jewish Public Library in Montreal. Alain is no stranger to the Montreal cultural world, as former Executive Director of the Grand Ballet Canadiens de Montreal, amongst other cultural institutions. During the episode, we hear how Alain is bringing his expertise to the Jewish Public Library, revamping its cultural programming.

With the vision and determination of community members, the Jewish Public Library opened in 1914 in a cold water flat on Saint Urbain Street with 500 books. It was more than just a library, it was also a place of literary and cultural exchange. The Jewish Public Library has grown with the community, now boasting a collection of almost 150,000 books, with over 40,000 books borrowed annually. Alain talks about the library’s programming for the upcoming year, the importance of taking the library’s programming outside of the library walls and into the community, and the relevance of libraries in in the 21st Century.