Me & My Library

What does Ottawa Public Library mean to you?

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  It Takes a Village (and a Library)

  by _taylormade_, 14 days ago
  

  It Takes a Village (and a Library)

  When I was a child, I loved dogs and hated going to after-school daycare.

  While still in primary school, going home by myself to an empty house while my mother worked was simply out of the question; she would not hear of it.

  In retrospect, the aftercare program I’d attended seems like a lot of fun now (time for sports, cooking, and crafting – I’d kill for that as an adult!) But at that time and being the introvert that I was, I just wanted to decompress by myself at the end... Continue reading
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  Finding my Ancestors

  by Sefton H., 15 days ago

  I have an unusual last name which is Hungarian in origin, although my ancestors from the 19th century lived in the Baden region of what is now Germany. I knew that in the 1840s my Great-Grandfather, together with his elder sister and younger brother, moved from Baden to England. From what my Father had told me I knew my Great-Grandfather's first name, but I didn't know the names of his brother and sister. In 2017, I set out to find them. Knowing that that the Library had access to the Ancestry genealogy system, I visited my local library branch (Beaverbrook)... Continue reading
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  language and song at the library

  by alisonm, 15 days ago

  I will never forget one visit to the Ottawa Public library. I went with my two young sons around 2019-2020- not sure. It was a cold winter afternoon and I was eager to get the kids out of the house. We sat there on the library floor starring up at the musicians, instruments in hand, singing into the microphones. They sang in Cree, English and French. Their voices carried messages of hope with sparkling eyes and a deep moving passion. I looked behind me and there was a row of older looking folks, all sitting on chairs. They too had... Continue reading
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  My Happy Place: A Space to Imagine, Create, and Share!

  by AnnaS, 15 days ago
  

  The Imagine Space at the Nepean Centrepointe Library is truly my happy place. Discovering this space has changed my life. Over the years, I’ve met countless creative individuals, each working on unique projects, which has been incredibly inspiring.

  In this vibrant environment, creativity knows no bounds. It’s a place where ideas flourish, projects come to life, and connections are forged. I find inspiration in every corner and joy in collaborating with fellow creators. Whether I’m crafting something new or sharing experiences, this space truly embodies the spirit of imagination and community.

  As an artist, I’m continually amazed by the opportunity... Continue reading
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  Libraries are a part of our Family Story

  by Julie Krupp, 16 days ago

  Like every young working mom, my work week was busy. Saturdays, however, were special. A day for my toddler, Michael, and I to spend time together. We had a routine. We were living in Kitchener at the time. Our first stop was the library. I would do a quick pic for myself but most of our time was spent in the bright and welcoming children's section. We were there every week, so it was also familiar, as was his absolutely favourite book, "The Animal Cafe" by John Stadler".

  The main branch of the library shares a parking lot with the... Continue reading
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  Nine Year Old Spelling Bee Champ on Why She Loves the Library

  by Jbayley , 16 days ago

  Why I Love the Library

  There are many things I love about the public library. We moved to Canada in 2021 and our local library was very friendly and welcoming to us. I discovered the Canadian author Charis Cotter there and I’ve checked out many of her books. I would recommend Charis Cotter’s “The Dollhouse”. Our library has a very big children’s section, in the graphic novel section I discovered the series “Lumberjanes” by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Gus Allen and ND Stevenson. I like that it’s set in a magical summer camp and the girls have adventures together.

  The... Continue reading
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  Home Away from Home

  by A.R., 17 days ago

  I've been going to the library since I was 16 years old. Now at 54, I still feel the warmth of the library in my life. Having a library to visit so close to my home, is such an incredible gift from God. I feel so lucky to be able to go to the library as often as I need to, all because of its proximity to my home. The Ottawa Public Library, is really the only place I can spend time to relax outside of my home. The library provides a safe place for me to spend my time... Continue reading
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  Special Hub For Common Interests

  by Julie R, 18 days ago

  The library is a place for sharing common interests. It is a hub of resources and information, made as accessible as possible to the community. As a movie lover, not only can I attend screenings of interesting films, but I can also stream and borrow them from the collection. It’s also the closest experience to visiting a rental store (as a former Blockbuster employee – R.I.P.) I can get! I’ve also slowly been discovering what other services the library has to offer, and love being able to keep track of everything from their website. I highly recommend the library to... Continue reading
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  Grateful

  by rpfitzpatrick, 18 days ago
  I've been a patron of the library since I was a young man. I've always enjoyed the ability to borrow books, music, later videotapes and DVDs.

  
  

  When my godson, now aged 29, was small, it was one of my great pleasures to bring him to the library. His excitement was infectious. We enjoyed many visits to the Carlingwood branch.

  Due to a congential deformity I've only been able to see using my left eye. In 2001 I damaged that eye. Following surgeries I was unable to read, a situation more heartbreaking than frustrating. But, again, the staff at Carlingwood and... Continue reading
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  Late to Public Libraries

  by Lindalibrary, 18 days ago

  Late to Public Libraries

  Linda Standing

  I came late to public libraries although a love of reading had been instilled in me by my parents.

  In the first ten years of my life (‘47-‘57) I did not have access to a public library given where my family lived and later when we moved, there was a small one with not much choice for a person my age, but luckily my parents could afford to buy me books.

  I graduated with a MLS from the University of Western Ontario in ’71 and began work at the Faculty of Music Library. Circumstances... Continue reading