On the afternoon of May 25, the Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto Library held its annual Volunteer Training and Welcome Gathering in the Meditation Hall. The event was led by Abbess Venerable Chueh Fan and Venerable Zhi Guan, and attended by Library Director Wenda Lai along with 30 dedicated volunteers representing the library teams from the Temple in Mississauga, the Buddha’s Light Centre in Markham, and the Waterloo branch.

The gathering offered a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the past year’s achievements, discuss future goals, and strengthen team spirit. In her opening remarks, Venerable Chueh Fan recognized the volunteers' dedication and emphasized the integral role the library plays in temple life. Drawing on Buddhist tradition, she likened the library to the ancient Sutra Repositories—halls where sacred texts were preserved—underscoring its importance as both a sanctuary for Buddhist literature and a vital platform for spreading the Dharma and cultivating wisdom and compassion.

The Abbess encouraged volunteers to take full ownership of their responsibilities—whether cataloging, reading, or organizing programs—and to continually seek self-improvement while serving others. She also offered guidance on the digitization of multimedia resources such as DVDs and CDs, and their integration into the temple’s cloud-based Librarika catalog to enhance public accessibility.

Library Director Wenda Lai reported on the ongoing reorganization of the library’s 26,000-volume collection and highlighted recent outreach initiatives to promote Humanistic Buddhism. Collaborative efforts with the Brampton Public Library, Credit Valley Hospital’s Spiritual Care Department, and Westminster Court Senior Residence have helped extend the library’s reach into the broader community.

Both new and returning volunteers introduced themselves and shared heartfelt reflections on their service experiences. Working teams also presented updates on their 2024 initiatives, which include organizing the collection, promoting children's reading, leading Four-Line Verse activities in hospitals and senior centers, and participating in local book fairs. The children’s reading programs, in particular, have seen strong engagement from families and young readers, helping to plant seeds of Dharma infuture generations.

The session also included discussion on operational improvements, such as system upgrades to Librarika, implementing paperless workflows, and continued digitization efforts. Volunteer Francis Choi provided an overview of the library’s current systems and shared plans for future development.

The event concluded with a tea reception, offering a warm and joyful space for volunteers to connect. The gathering not only served as a strategic planning session but also as a moment of shared inspiration, reinforcing the team’s commitment to service, community, and the Dharma.