Speaker Meeting

Speaker Meetings are informative presentations by knowledgeable guest speakers on a wide variety of topics related to emerging technologies. 

When:
Held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month, September - June
Meetings run from 9:30 - 11:30, with a coffee break / social time mid morning.

Where:
Downtown Community Centre, Multi-Purpose Room upstairs

Topics:
See below for information about this month, as well as upcoming and past speakers.

Club members are encouraged to use the City of Kitchener's Active Net portal to register for all club activities. Instructions to do this can be found on this Active Net Instruction Guide for Members.

In her presentation, Madeleine will take us through the exciting world of online library services, covering everything from e-books and audiobooks to movies, TV shows, and music. We’ll explore popular platforms like OverDrive, Libby, Hoopla, and Kanopy, showing how easy it is to borrow and access content across different devices. We’ll dive into e-readers, with a focus on Kobo devices and other e-reader apps, and she will demonstrate how they work seamlessly on tablets, Chromebooks, and laptops. For audiobook enthusiasts, Madeleine will introduce Playaway devices—an all-in-one, easy-to-use solution. Along the way, we’ll discuss how to make the most of these services by managing checkouts, syncing across devices, and addressing common tech challenges like compatibility and connectivity issues. Afterward, we’ll have a Q&A session to address any questions, and she will wrap up with helpful resources to continue our exploration. Madeleine's goal is to empower us to feel confident in using these tools to elevate our remote library experience!

BONUS for December: Our Social Time will be extended this month into a Festive Gathering to give us time to enjoy delicious treats and chat with each other about holiday plans, tech gifting wishes, or anything else of interest! Members are invited to bring along a small plate of festive goodies if you wish. We thank you in advance for contributing to our festive gathering! 

BONUS #2: There will be a demo of the new Active Net process for 2026. We think you'll be happy to see the improvements that have been made, largely thanks to members of our club who provided feedback in the fall about how difficult this system has been!

A Review of this year's SPEAKERS and TOPICS - 2025 - 26:

September - Chanakya Ramdev - Sweat Free Telecom
October - Visit and Tour of Communitech
November - Kevin Matsui, Artificial Intelligence
December - Madeleine Kong, KPL, Online Library Services

PAST SPEAKERS and TOPICS, 2024 - 25:

September - Dr. Carla Fehr, Who the Computer Sees: Race, Gender and AI
October - Lucy Santos, KPL, An Introduction to Smart Home Technology
November - Dr. Linda Lee - Dementia: What It Is, and How To Reduce Your Risk
December - Jenn Gerynowicz - Creating Comfort and Joy Around Technology
January - Peter Rasberry - Shutters and Sensors and Shooting Modes
February - John Handby - Artificial Intelligence - The Future is Now
March - Nicole Amaral - Welcome to the Digital Kitchener Innovation Lab
April - Video Call Alternatives to Skype (no guest speaker this month)
May -  Dr. Josephine McMurray - Your Watch Knows Where you Are - but SHOULD IT? - Exploring Location-Tracing Technologies in Long-Term Care
June - Constable Joshua Rhab, WRPS - Internet Safety

A valid Kitchener Group Card is required to attend in person meetings. Kitchener Group Cards are now on sale online, by phone, or in person at any Kitchener Community Centre. They are good for unlimited visits for many ongoing groups at any City of Kitchener Community Centre.