Me & My Library

What does Ottawa Public Library mean to you?

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  Innovating technology to bring board games to life

  by gkholman, over 1 year ago

  The Imagine Space at Centrepoint has nurtured my imagination and led me to explore new approaches in the use of certain technologies used worldwide. So much so, that the annual Declarative Amsterdam conference has accepted a paper I've written about my ideas and experiences. I am traveling to Amsterdam to present my paper Friday morning, November 8, 2024: https://Declarative.Amsterdam/program ... you can download the paper from the PDF link at the bottom right corner of https://declarative.amsterdam/article?doi=da.2024.holman.play-ball for the details. In the paper I acknowledge the accessible laser cutters provided to all patrons by the Ottawa Public Library as providing me... Continue reading

  The Imagine Space at Centrepoint has nurtured my imagination and led me to explore new approaches in the use of certain technologies used worldwide. So much so, that the annual Declarative Amsterdam conference has accepted a paper I've written about my ideas and experiences. I am traveling to Amsterdam to present my paper Friday morning, November 8, 2024: https://Declarative.Amsterdam/program ... you can download the paper from the PDF link at the bottom right corner of https://declarative.amsterdam/article?doi=da.2024.holman.play-ball for the details. In the paper I acknowledge the accessible laser cutters provided to all patrons by the Ottawa Public Library as providing me an environment to test my innovations that I have made publicly available free of charge on GitHub.
• Share The Library saved my life: the chronicles of a brand-new denizen of the Ottawa public library scene on Facebook Share The Library saved my life: the chronicles of a brand-new denizen of the Ottawa public library scene on Twitter Share The Library saved my life: the chronicles of a brand-new denizen of the Ottawa public library scene on Linkedin Email The Library saved my life: the chronicles of a brand-new denizen of the Ottawa public library scene link

  The Library saved my life: the chronicles of a brand-new denizen of the Ottawa public library scene

  by Robert McBryde, over 1 year ago

  “A room without books is like a body without a soul” -Marcus Tullius Cicero

  For more images, please click here:

  https://robertmcbrydeauthor.com/the-library-saved-my-life/

  Growing up in Georgetown, Ontario in the 1950s and 1960s, bookishness was far from Godliness, a definitely liability, especially for a red-blooded Canadian boy. And I was a rotund little fellow, far from red-blooded, commonly referred to as ‘Porky’, ‘Chub’, or ‘Fatso’, frequently bullied, a candidate for the fate of Piggy in Lord of the Flies.

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_the_Flies

  I looked like Lumpy Rutherford when I wanted to resemble Steve McQueen.

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumpy_Rutherford

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_McQueen

  So to escape the slings and arrows of... Continue reading

  “A room without books is like a body without a soul” -Marcus Tullius Cicero

  For more images, please click here:

  https://robertmcbrydeauthor.com/the-library-saved-my-life/

  Growing up in Georgetown, Ontario in the 1950s and 1960s, bookishness was far from Godliness, a definitely liability, especially for a red-blooded Canadian boy. And I was a rotund little fellow, far from red-blooded, commonly referred to as ‘Porky’, ‘Chub’, or ‘Fatso’, frequently bullied, a candidate for the fate of Piggy in Lord of the Flies.

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_the_Flies

  I looked like Lumpy Rutherford when I wanted to resemble Steve McQueen.

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumpy_Rutherford

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_McQueen

  So to escape the slings and arrows of outrageous hazing, I hid for hours in the local old-school public library, perusing a vast array of volumes, including works focusing on astronomy, dinosaurs, birds and birding, and sports, all sorts of sports, before hauling home the maximum amount of booty allowed, to be devoured under the covers in the darkness, sometimes all night long, since my terminal anxiety, which triggered chronic insomnia, was only assuaged by reading, reading, reading.

  Thus it was that libraries have become a beacon wherever fate has taken me.

  At York University, where I did undergraduate and doctoral work, the library was a second home…and eventually a minimum security prison, for I accumulated an impressive legacy of overdue book fines and university parking tickets, which I was forced to pay back through indentured servitude, i.e. a week’s sentence of sorting and shelving volumes, which had to be acquitted before I was allowed to graduate.

  I was the world’s most delighted prisoner! Instead of sorting and shelving, I rolled the book dolly to a remote corner of the stacks, where voracious reading rather than diligent shelving became the order of the day. A lack of productivity eventually came to the attention of the head librarian, who clearly approved of browsing over stacking and summarily commuted my sentence.

  Those were the days of the card catalogue, a non-digital era, which as a pathetic Luddite I sorely miss, as I do the attendant feel and odour of the cards, endlessly pawed and ruffled.

  Timeworn libraries have always been my preferred havens, and there is none more remarkably venerable than the Literary and Historical Society English Library in Quebec City, part of the oldest existing learned society in Canada:

  https://www.morrin.org/en/what-is-the-morrin-centre/

  The Lit& His, as it is often referred to, became known in our family as the ‘fusty library’ for its dusty confines, wafts of damp odours, and staid portrait galleries of stern 19th century patriarchs.

  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fusty

  My wife and I lived in Quebec City for over 35 years, and our two sons became inveterate readers through a steady diet of worn and tattered children’s volumes that we borrowed by the hundreds from the Lit& His.

  I taught CEGEP (junior college) English for 35 years in Quebec City and became a regular denizen of the school library, breaking all records for book ordering and book borrowing and taking advantage of one of the few perks of the job by taking home voluminous heaps of magazines, including literary journals and more popular fare such as Harpers, The Canadian Forum, and the Atlantic Monthly, in those long-lost pre-digital days.

  Our St. Lawrence College library had the niftiest odiferous card catalogue, which the students invariably left all askew, contents strewn, frayed, or crushed.

  Of course, nothing gold can stay, and the digital age swept the card catalogue away, along with the name “Library” itself, the moniker “Resource Centre” often becoming the preferred nomenclature. (When I first heard this designation, I thought the new label was “Racehorse Centre.”)

  Many more libraries have informed my life, institutions in French as well as in English, on two continents: The Robarts Library at U of T, which everyone called “Fort Book”; Bibliothèque Gabrielle-Roy in Quebec City; and the Vancouver Public Library, which especially shaped my wife, turning her into the world’s most enthusiastic reader and prompting her to seek a career as a library worker, which, as fate would have it, she was forever denied.

  And now, as fresh newcomers to Ottawa, we’ve discovered the Ottawa Public Library system, in particular the Rosemount branch, a few steps from our new home:

  https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en/branch/rosemount-0

  This library is small-scale, bright and cheery…and very digital. It also has an elevator, which I’ve dubbed the “smellevator” (apparently there are invasive plumbing issues), adding to the compendium of library smells accumulated over the decades. The welcome is typically cheery: “Hi hon!” “No worries; have a good one…” raining down upon us like linguistic manna in the wake of our return to Canada after nearly three years spent in France.

  The Rosemount branch obviously means so much to the community, an antidote to the corporatisation of bookdom and to the government cutbacks that so imperil the public’s right to read. Here we find gaggles of kids – nascent bibliophiles – as well as desperately poor dislocated people, local residents, individuals with the most brilliant eccentricities, and the odd incongruous dog, no doubt an avid canine literary enthusiast.

  As the final chapter of my wild and woolly existence draws to its inevitable close, libraries form a sturdy thread linking the receding mists of the past to the fretful unease of the present, born of teetering on the brink of an eternal abyss.

  Your friend,

  Robert

  https://robertmcbrydeauthor.com/

  https://www.instagram.com/robertmcbrydeauthor/

  https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-mcbryde-44051122/

  https://x.com/RobertMcBryde

  
  
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  Me and My Library

  by Sal22, over 1 year ago

  You wrote that you want to know about the moments when the library made a difference in my life. Every time I walk through the doors of the Greely branch my life is enhanced. The person at the front desk sees me, smiles, and if not otherwise engaged, gets up to move a chair close to the desk so I can sit while speaking with her. (I walk with two canes; standing is unpleasant.) She takes care of the books I am returning, and retrieves any the library is holding for me. I scan the books on the Express shelf... Continue reading

  You wrote that you want to know about the moments when the library made a difference in my life. Every time I walk through the doors of the Greely branch my life is enhanced. The person at the front desk sees me, smiles, and if not otherwise engaged, gets up to move a chair close to the desk so I can sit while speaking with her. (I walk with two canes; standing is unpleasant.) She takes care of the books I am returning, and retrieves any the library is holding for me. I scan the books on the Express shelf behind me, and often find at least one I want to read. I come prepared with a list of books on my cell phone that I am looking for. The librarian checks to see if any are available in our local library; if not, she requests them from elsewhere. I could go on, but you get the idea. I am made to feel welcome, and I am well taken care of, from the time I enter until I leave.
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  In response to the Ottawa Public Library’s request for library experiences:

  by K. Barbara Lambert, over 1 year ago

  My father got me a card for the Saint John library when I was twelve, but I never used it, because we left that city soon afterward.

  My father got me my next library card when I was thirteen. We had just moved to the City of Westmount, P.Q., and my card entitled me to use the Westmount library, which is on the edge of Westmount Park. It is an imposing building. I was directed to the Children’s Section. There I remember reading Busy, the Life of a Bee, The Wizard of Oz (and its sequel - which was disappointing)... Continue reading

  My father got me a card for the Saint John library when I was twelve, but I never used it, because we left that city soon afterward.

  My father got me my next library card when I was thirteen. We had just moved to the City of Westmount, P.Q., and my card entitled me to use the Westmount library, which is on the edge of Westmount Park. It is an imposing building. I was directed to the Children’s Section. There I remember reading Busy, the Life of a Bee, The Wizard of Oz (and its sequel - which was disappointing), and true adventures of explorers and voyageurs in Canada and the United States. Being a fast reader, I soon finished everything of interest to me and applied to the adult section.

  It took me a while to persuade the librarian to accept me, and then only to the adventure section, which included The Man in the Iron Mask, and The Three Musketeers. Now I wonder why I was not allowed to read the History or Geography Sections.

  Before I started school, aged six, I knew the alphabet from letters on our breakfast cereal boxes, because my mother had been patient enough to answer my questions at home. I was a week late in beginning and the class had reached the letter ‘M’, but I was ahead of them. She helped me with spelling until I could find my way in the family dictionary, and then I was on my own. My father would not allow me to read text that he felt was of poor quality. That included `The Bobsey Twins’. I persuaded him to let me read just one because all my friends had and were discussing it. He gave in for that purpose only. I soon realized that his verdict was correct. When my parents joined `The Book of the Month Club’ I was allowed to read them all. The only forbidden one was `Gone with the Wind’. I was around twelve. Of course, I read it anyway, when my parents were out. Looking back, I think my father didn’t want me to know about the irregular activities of the main male character. Perhaps the aftermath of battle was not suitable either, in his eyes.

  Since my marriage, I have lived in Ottawa, and soon joined the Ottawa Public Library. My daughter believes that I have read at least 11,000 library books since then.

  I usually read a novel in four or five hours, sometimes less. It depends on the quality of the writing, and whether it calls for thought.

  At certain periods of my life, I was doing research into town planning and other such subjects, but I do not include those hours in this count. They required a lot of scanning, as well.

  Aside from their use for research purposes, libraries have been invaluable to me. They have saved me from depression by transporting me far away from my normal worries; they have given me insight into minds and experiences unlike my own. They have been useful preliminaries to travel, helping me to know what to explore on arrival. I like to know the history of countries and their cities that I have not seen before.

  One must read with caution, however.

  Coming from a vast country like Canada, visiting a tiny one like Luxembourg is enlightening. While I was there, there were so many little villages at the base of castles, it seemed large, but now I realize that it is only the length of the distance between Ottawa and Kazabazua. Less than an hour’s drive. It can be deceiving, only reading about a European country by one of its inhabitants.

  Nowadays, I only read in the evening. At this moment, I have a mix of mystery writers, the Women’s Rights Movements in North America, frivolous entertainment, fiction set in mediaeval times, walking long distances in Northern Europe…

  Although I am 101 years old, I seem likely to be around for a while yet. Just not walking those long distances.
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  Our Big Night Out

  by Inez K, over 1 year ago

  I have two sons who are now pushing 40. When they were young children I was working full time. Our evening visit to the Sunnyside Branch of the Ottawa Public Library was the highlight of the week - our big night out. The routine was always the same - we went to the children's section in the basement and after an hour or so they made their selections for sign-out. On one of these nights, my 3 year old decided that he really did not want to go home. Upstairs by the check-out desk, he lay down on the floor... Continue reading

  I have two sons who are now pushing 40. When they were young children I was working full time. Our evening visit to the Sunnyside Branch of the Ottawa Public Library was the highlight of the week - our big night out. The routine was always the same - we went to the children's section in the basement and after an hour or so they made their selections for sign-out. On one of these nights, my 3 year old decided that he really did not want to go home. Upstairs by the check-out desk, he lay down on the floor and had a full blown tantrum. At the time I was mortified. However, when I thought about it later, I saw some humour in the situation. If my child was having a meltdown because he did not want to leave a library, maybe that was not such a bad thing. I am happy to say that both sons have remained enthusiastic about reading.
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  A Library Family

  by NatalieN, over 1 year ago
  I accompanied my mother to the 90th anniversary of the Rosemount Branch in 2008 (or 2009?). She was there as the oldest known patron of that Branch, having obtained her card 75 years earlier! And my first job was at the Rosemount Branch. I was a Grade 10 student in the mid-70s and had long been on the list to get that cherished position. I was thrilled to be working there, placing books back on the shelves after their return.

  I accompanied my mother to the 90th anniversary of the Rosemount Branch in 2008 (or 2009?). She was there as the oldest known patron of that Branch, having obtained her card 75 years earlier! And my first job was at the Rosemount Branch. I was a Grade 10 student in the mid-70s and had long been on the list to get that cherished position. I was thrilled to be working there, placing books back on the shelves after their return.
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  Lifelong love of reading

  by Elizabeth D, over 1 year ago

  My love of libraries and reading started in my little hometown, where we had a public library I could walk to (and borrow a stack of hardcover Nancy Drew books practically taller than I was). Each summer, there was a children’s reading club with stickers, bookmarks, trivia questions, and a fun theme.

  When I moved to Ottawa for university, there were a few years where I mostly used the uOttawa library and read my many English Literature books for my degree. But I still got a city library card and would occasionally borrow books. I think it was around 2018... Continue reading

  My love of libraries and reading started in my little hometown, where we had a public library I could walk to (and borrow a stack of hardcover Nancy Drew books practically taller than I was). Each summer, there was a children’s reading club with stickers, bookmarks, trivia questions, and a fun theme.

  When I moved to Ottawa for university, there were a few years where I mostly used the uOttawa library and read my many English Literature books for my degree. But I still got a city library card and would occasionally borrow books. I think it was around 2018 or 2019 that I learned about Overdrive (now Libby), where I could borrow ebooks and audiobooks. This was transformational for me, as I was reading fewer paper books these days, and didn’t have to worry about getting to the library or returning the books. And the ability to borrow from other libraries as well to make the collection even larger was amazing!

  Over the last few years, the collection of 2SLGBTQIA+ novels (and especially romances—my fave!) has really increased, and I think this is amazing. I love how accessible it makes this content for everyone. I’ve also been able to enjoy meeting at the main branch (and a couple other branches) of the library most Novembers to participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) further supporting the writing, reading, and creative community.

  Thank you for supporting literacy, creativity, and accessibility!
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  A Magnet Pulling Us East

  by AndreaEG, over 1 year ago
  Our journey to the Ottawa Public Library began ten years ago when our daughter moved to the city to attend the University of Ottawa. We encouraged her to get an OPL library card because students need to be able to read for pleasure while studying as well.

  About five years later we heard about Adisoke being built. Interestingly enough we had just visited Halifax and were so impressed with their library that we vowed if we ever moved from our home in central Ontario it would have to be to a city with a library like Halifax. We watched the... Continue reading

  Our journey to the Ottawa Public Library began ten years ago when our daughter moved to the city to attend the University of Ottawa. We encouraged her to get an OPL library card because students need to be able to read for pleasure while studying as well.

  About five years later we heard about Adisoke being built. Interestingly enough we had just visited Halifax and were so impressed with their library that we vowed if we ever moved from our home in central Ontario it would have to be to a city with a library like Halifax. We watched the updates on CTV news and got very excited about the new library, the consultations, collaborations with Indigenous communities and the vision of a learning space for the city.

  Then this past year we moved to Ottawa and we now live on Lebreton Flats with an amazing view of Adisoke out our condo window.

  So the magnet did its job, drawing us east to Ottawa and to Lebreton Flats and to Adisoke.

  We can't wait for it to open.
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  Book Banter at the Hazeldean Branch

  by Cathy O'Hearn, over 1 year ago

  
  

  I have been a Library card holder since my family moved to Kanata in 1987. My children grew up with weekly visits to the Library for books. My children are now grown and have moved away; but, they still hold a deep love of reading due in part to their Ottawa Public Library experiences. The Ottawa Library continues to be an integral part of my life and the Kanata community.

  I have been a member of the Hazeldean Branch Book Banter for 20+ years. For the last 17 years I have been the Book Banter facilitator. We are a lively... Continue reading

  
  

  I have been a Library card holder since my family moved to Kanata in 1987. My children grew up with weekly visits to the Library for books. My children are now grown and have moved away; but, they still hold a deep love of reading due in part to their Ottawa Public Library experiences. The Ottawa Library continues to be an integral part of my life and the Kanata community.

  I have been a member of the Hazeldean Branch Book Banter for 20+ years. For the last 17 years I have been the Book Banter facilitator. We are a lively, inclusive bunch! Over the last 20 years we have had members ranging in age from early 20's to 80's. We are meeting as one in our love of reading. Currently we have a loyal membership of 14 members. If a member cannot make the meeting in person, then they email their notes on the book to be shared at the meeting. We collectively choose our reading list by gathering suggestions from the BB members. The meeting before the summer break we choose together what will make up the reading list for the next season. The important factor is that the books chosen are available through the Ottawa Library system and that there are enough copies to accommodate our BB membership. Books chosen are fiction, non-fiction, mystery, Canadian -- we are also mindful of choosing books that concur with Remembrance Day and Black History Month. The Hazeldean branch staff have been very supportive especially the Librarian Wendy Au. We have, at times over the years. had to meet elsewhere during renovations at the Branch (arranged by Ottawa Library staff). Also we all had to deal with Covid shutdown restrictions. The Hazeldean Book Banter continued meeting over Zoom. Through it all the BB (loyal) members kept coming to the meetings. I'm happy to be part of the Library family.

  
  
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  Discovering so much kindness & support

  by deleanor, over 1 year ago

  After losing vision in one eye from a blood clot, I decided to ask one of our librarians how to use their audiobooks on my computer & smartphone. A one hour appointment was arranged within that week to teach me how. This lifted my spirits so high and helped me through a difficult time. "Hanging out", showed me that the nature of the library was quickly changing to a place for discussion and support where so much kindness is shown to young and old patrons alike.Often seniors are given the opportunity to teach their skill to excited children, so that... Continue reading

  After losing vision in one eye from a blood clot, I decided to ask one of our librarians how to use their audiobooks on my computer & smartphone. A one hour appointment was arranged within that week to teach me how. This lifted my spirits so high and helped me through a difficult time. "Hanging out", showed me that the nature of the library was quickly changing to a place for discussion and support where so much kindness is shown to young and old patrons alike.Often seniors are given the opportunity to teach their skill to excited children, so that it is hard to distinguish who is having more fun. Often musical events are presented to people who may have not had the opportunity to ever experience such beauty. Imagine what the new Main branch will bring ! Yet I know that I will still love my smaller neighbourhood one like a family.