Me & My Library

What does Ottawa Public Library mean to you?

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  Stories

  by A.C, almost 2 years ago

  I would be delighted to share my library story with you. At present, I'm waiting to hear if my book, "Ladies Don't Do That: Memoir of an Olympian" (Friesen Press, 1953) will be accepted into the Ottawa Public Library collection. In addition to describing my life of an athlete competing internationally in the nineteen fifties, I talk about important people, places and experiences that were influential in my life. The following excerpt from my memoir tells about one of these (Part I, Chapter 1).

  "We never had many books in our house. One day, when I was six or seven,... Continue reading

  I would be delighted to share my library story with you. At present, I'm waiting to hear if my book, "Ladies Don't Do That: Memoir of an Olympian" (Friesen Press, 1953) will be accepted into the Ottawa Public Library collection. In addition to describing my life of an athlete competing internationally in the nineteen fifties, I talk about important people, places and experiences that were influential in my life. The following excerpt from my memoir tells about one of these (Part I, Chapter 1).

  "We never had many books in our house. One day, when I was six or seven, I caught sight of two friends coming up the street with books in their arms. I dashed over and demanded, "Where did you get those books?" They replied, "from the library" "What's that?" I wanted to know." They explained that it was a place where you could get books but you had to take them back. I rushed home to tell my mother about this wonderful place and asked if we could go there. She replied, "Of course", and took me to the library at the foot of our street, St. Clements Ave. at the corner of Yonge St. (Toronto). It was small, compared to many of the libraries I have known since, but to me at that time it encompassed the world and was the beginning of a lifelong love affair with libraries and librarians. It was open every day and evening, including Sundays. Of course today, with the Internet, I don't go to the library to look many things up. However, (at 92) I am a member of a book club and still love reading and make many visits to and from my local Ottawa Public Library (Cote St.) "
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  Library Commentary

  by A.C, almost 2 years ago

  I probably can be called an avid reader. Beginning at about age five and still reading at age ninety-three, my experiences with many types of libraries are legion. Although the first sixty years of experiences are interesting historically, there is little which applies to the current situation. Therefor, these words are concerned only with the past twenty-five or thirty years.

  Sometime about 1995, I complained to my wife that there was nothing good in the house to read. She quickly responded and said, “ well then,go back to your den and write a book, but get out of my kitchen”.... Continue reading

  I probably can be called an avid reader. Beginning at about age five and still reading at age ninety-three, my experiences with many types of libraries are legion. Although the first sixty years of experiences are interesting historically, there is little which applies to the current situation. Therefor, these words are concerned only with the past twenty-five or thirty years.

  Sometime about 1995, I complained to my wife that there was nothing good in the house to read. She quickly responded and said, “ well then,go back to your den and write a book, but get out of my kitchen”. So I did. It would be a memoir. Learning about the process began at Emerald Plaza branch of the O.P.L. with classes led by Ruth Latta. There were not only a number of remarkable stories told but the class members were a very diverse and interesting group. Then once the work was substantially complete, a further class at Centrepoint library was taken to investigate publishing. My point here is that O.P,L. offers a great variety of opportunities in a community that are not just book related. Also, because of a common interest, there is very animated social interaction between persons from every station in life.

  Except for the most recent decade, my library interests were focused on hard covers. Their tactile and aromatic qualities together with the opportunity to browse row upon row of everything imaginable kept me coming back. So too did some of the purpose built libraries like Carlingwood or old City View on Rowley Avenue and those grand, old “Central” Libraries still found in the heart of many major cities. Much of the 'feel' of a library is lost when it is located in a strip mall or or other 'rental' space.

  Now however, e-books and audio books on-line are changing things. Perhaps not changing so much as adding a whole new venue. They add greatly to readership but are not a significant part of the traditional branch library. However, those of us who have mobility issues and/or failing eyesight are absolutely dependent upon e-books and audio books. Over the past seven years, my O.P.L. account history shows that I have read 351 on-line books.

  The acquisition and dissemination of this on-line material appears to be exactly the same as traditional hard covers, which has a built in frustration and potential unfairness. To prevent this with on-line material two things are necessary;

  1. The author (and the agent/publisher) should receive a royalty/percentage each time an e-book/audio-book is read.

  1. All on-line books should be available all the time. (no holds).

  This might be achieved if for each read, a “nominal” one or two week rental is charged. The sum of all rental income should then cover royalties, admin costs and offer reasonable profit to the publisher. (and help mediate author/publisher unfairness and eliminate the frustration of holds). Yes, I know, the library has always been free to readers. However, to improve service, increase readership and maintain fairness within the library, this new on-line component may have to be viewed differently.
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  A perfect partner for authorship!

  by Jason Oliver, almost 2 years ago
  Having recently published my debut book in the non-fiction / self-help / critical thinking & awareness space, I give a big "assist" to the OPL in helping me reach that goal. Since Dec. 2022 up to June 2023, I spent many tireless days going into the OPL to digest various pop psych and behavioural economics books, taking notes for citations and the like. If there was a certain title I was looking for, they were almost certain to stock it and have it fairly readily available. I hope this will inspire some budding authors to turn to the OPL to... Continue reading

  Having recently published my debut book in the non-fiction / self-help / critical thinking & awareness space, I give a big "assist" to the OPL in helping me reach that goal. Since Dec. 2022 up to June 2023, I spent many tireless days going into the OPL to digest various pop psych and behavioural economics books, taking notes for citations and the like. If there was a certain title I was looking for, they were almost certain to stock it and have it fairly readily available. I hope this will inspire some budding authors to turn to the OPL to contribute to the scaffolding and substance of their creations.

  
  
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  An after school staple

  by k.c, almost 2 years ago

  I always went to the library as a kid sometimes for hours or just an afternoon pickup for something for March Break. But once I got to high school it felt like it fully cemented itself in my head as a true staple of any community. Me and my friends would always meet at the library to do projects throughout the year. Or when it was exam season we would rent a study room and study for law or history (I swear we were actually studying). Or when we finally learned to drive, and my friend would see me making... Continue reading

  I always went to the library as a kid sometimes for hours or just an afternoon pickup for something for March Break. But once I got to high school it felt like it fully cemented itself in my head as a true staple of any community. Me and my friends would always meet at the library to do projects throughout the year. Or when it was exam season we would rent a study room and study for law or history (I swear we were actually studying). Or when we finally learned to drive, and my friend would see me making that long trek from school to the library in winter and would give me a ride in her Dad's older-than-us sedan. Or in the summer when I was going to an unfamiliar school, and the library gave me a reprieve from the heat and awkward social circle that is summer school. Thank you to the library for being there as a kid, a student and still just as amazing of a resource as an adult.
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  Now audio books keep me calm driving home

  by HiDiDi, almost 2 years ago
  I started going to the library again last spring (15 years since my last visit) when it was getting too expensive to read my favourite author (J.D. Robb).

  
  I was thrilled to find many of the series at the library. Some were digital versions only so that started me with Libby… and the rest is history! I can gobble a book down in a day if I need some R & R. I love that I can read anywhere with my phone.
  
  While using the search filters I saw the audio option. I have a half hour + drive home... Continue reading

  I started going to the library again last spring (15 years since my last visit) when it was getting too expensive to read my favourite author (J.D. Robb).

  
  I was thrilled to find many of the series at the library. Some were digital versions only so that started me with Libby… and the rest is history! I can gobble a book down in a day if I need some R & R. I love that I can read anywhere with my phone.
  
  While using the search filters I saw the audio option. I have a half hour + drive home from work and am often impatient. So I decided to try an audio book.
  
  Now I relax in the right hand lane, going with the flow, and enjoying my drive home.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
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  Lifeline During Pandemic and Little Bookworm Maker

  by Sarah, almost 2 years ago
  My family loves the Ottawa Public Library!

  
  I've always been a big Libby user, but the Library became a bit of a lifeline for my family during the pandemic. My daughter was only 11 months old when everything shut down so it was a really isolating time, and we often felt like we were crawling the walls. The Library was such a great place to go when everything else was either shut down or felt unsafe. It got us out of the apartment and was a great indoor activity during the winter and hotter/rainy months. Even when the Library itself... Continue reading

  My family loves the Ottawa Public Library!

  
  I've always been a big Libby user, but the Library became a bit of a lifeline for my family during the pandemic. My daughter was only 11 months old when everything shut down so it was a really isolating time, and we often felt like we were crawling the walls. The Library was such a great place to go when everything else was either shut down or felt unsafe. It got us out of the apartment and was a great indoor activity during the winter and hotter/rainy months. Even when the Library itself was mostly shut down due to restrictions, they made these awesome themed book bundles for kids so that we could pop in, load up on books and pop out again.
  
  We would load up the stroller with so many books that I had to keep an eye on the basket when going over curbs to make sure none spilled out (I promise no books were harmed during these escapades!). My daughter came to love picture books so much that she would want to look through them as we walked home (and even on one memorable occasion while in her baby seat on the back of my bike!). We used to go so often we knew when a new scavenger hunt was going to be set up in the Children's section, and when our favourite library worker would be at the desk. Though we go in person a little less frequently these days, our usage hasn't stopped, just evolved, as my daughter has gotten older. Now we're making good use of the Holds shelf and reading tons of early chapter and comic books together. She recently blasted through the early literacy testing in Kindergarten, and I think it's a pretty safe bet the Library had a major role in that.
  
  My asks from the library:
  Please expand the number of holds we can have on Libby! 20 is really a small number when you think about it ;-D
  When City of Ottawa funding actually permits (looking right at you suburban and rural city councillors) expand the hours on the weekends. Mornings for parents with young children are especially great - 9am to 6pm would be amazing.
  Speaking of funding, also ensuring that library workers are paid a good, living wage. They shouldn't have to go on strike like the Halifax Public Library workers did! Solidarité!
  
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  My library - my refuge.

  by Kishory Devine, almost 2 years ago

  For me, libraries have always been a refuge, where the outside world fades and the stories within books come alive. Reflecting on my lifelong learning, I can pinpoint moments when libraries played a key role, especially in my journey to acquire new skills.

  When I moved to Ottawa, I felt isolated, but the Cumberland library became my sanctuary, particularly in retirement. Here, I found resources for language learning and joined the French Conversation group, where the supportive environment helped me practice and gain confidence. One of my proudest moments was holding a conversation in French, a milestone I reached thanks... Continue reading

  For me, libraries have always been a refuge, where the outside world fades and the stories within books come alive. Reflecting on my lifelong learning, I can pinpoint moments when libraries played a key role, especially in my journey to acquire new skills.

  When I moved to Ottawa, I felt isolated, but the Cumberland library became my sanctuary, particularly in retirement. Here, I found resources for language learning and joined the French Conversation group, where the supportive environment helped me practice and gain confidence. One of my proudest moments was holding a conversation in French, a milestone I reached thanks to the library’s resources and community.

  Beyond language skills, the library fueled my curiosity. I explored various genres, discovered new authors, and immersed myself in different cultures. I also enjoyed the library’s programs, especially the art sessions and the What’s Cooking? Cookbook Club. Attending these programs fills me with hope and joy, as they offer not only learning but a sense of connection.

  For me, the library is more than just a place to borrow books—it is space for personal growth, lifelong learning, and community.
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  Childhood

  by 5996, almost 2 years ago

  From the first time my mom brought me and my sister as kids to our local library (Nepean Centrepointe) I knew I’d found something special and very important to me. As a kid that found it very hard to fit in at school I escaped into books and still do as an adult. Every week I would borrow multiple books and beg my mom to go back a few days later when I’d finished them to get more. Once I was old enough to go myself I would hop on my bike most days and almost every day during the... Continue reading

  From the first time my mom brought me and my sister as kids to our local library (Nepean Centrepointe) I knew I’d found something special and very important to me. As a kid that found it very hard to fit in at school I escaped into books and still do as an adult. Every week I would borrow multiple books and beg my mom to go back a few days later when I’d finished them to get more. Once I was old enough to go myself I would hop on my bike most days and almost every day during the summer to go to the library to find my next reads. Years later, I was so excited when I got my own library card, I’d log onto the website almost every day to check my holds, resulting in quickly memorizing its 14 digits. At some point though life took too much of my time and I found myself not being able to read or go to the library as much anymore, a decade later I felt something was missing from my life and started to reflect back to those special childhood memories and I decided to renew my old childhood library card. I was really nervous I wouldn’t be able to keep it and have to get a new updated one but I was so happy that I could still use the same one, after all I still know its number by heart.
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  quotation from Susan Orlean's "The Library" (2018)

  by Bibliophile, almost 2 years ago

  "I was struck by ... how necessary, and how full of hope it is, to collect these books and manuscripts and preserve them. It declares that all these stories matter, and so does every effort to create something that connects us to one another, and to our past, and to what is still to come ... This is why I wanted to write this book, to tell about a place that I love that doesn't belong to me but feels like it is mine, and how that feels marvelous and exceptional. All the things that are wrong in the world... Continue reading

  "I was struck by ... how necessary, and how full of hope it is, to collect these books and manuscripts and preserve them. It declares that all these stories matter, and so does every effort to create something that connects us to one another, and to our past, and to what is still to come ... This is why I wanted to write this book, to tell about a place that I love that doesn't belong to me but feels like it is mine, and how that feels marvelous and exceptional. All the things that are wrong in the world seem conquered by a library's simple unspoken promise: Here I am, please tell me your story; here is my story, please listen."
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  Helping me fulfill a lifelong passion

  by M. MacDonald, almost 2 years ago

  For years, I have wanted to write a novel based on growing up in the 1960s in Toronto. Our chaotic but seemingly perfect family was shattered when my mother died unexpectedly. Playing out in the background, were the constant images of change and upheaval from the late 60s which filtered through the television into our family room. These images and events were the backdrop of my early life, and frame my memory of my mother's death and our family's tragic circumstances.

  It's challenging to write a novel heavy on historical research without the tools to make this happen. The Ottawa... Continue reading

  For years, I have wanted to write a novel based on growing up in the 1960s in Toronto. Our chaotic but seemingly perfect family was shattered when my mother died unexpectedly. Playing out in the background, were the constant images of change and upheaval from the late 60s which filtered through the television into our family room. These images and events were the backdrop of my early life, and frame my memory of my mother's death and our family's tragic circumstances.

  It's challenging to write a novel heavy on historical research without the tools to make this happen. The Ottawa Public Library, through its Online Resources, provided me access to a number of Canadian historical newspapers (ProQuest), encyclopedias and resources which were available to me at all hours of the day. I don't know if I would have been able to advance the research in my novel if I hadn't been able to log into the Ottawa Public Library at the end of a long work day. Now that I am retired, I have had more time to dedicate to finishing my novel, and strong progress has been made. The end is in sight! The Ottawa Public Library has been a crucial partner in helping me to achieve a lifelong dream.

  One of the best resources that the library offers (in my opinion) is Kanopy, which provides access to films, world cinema, and a variety of video courses. It truly is an incredible resource! Since retiring, I have been able to increase my knowledge and understanding of world cinema and films that I had only heard about but was unable to view. Kanopy is like having a university film school at my disposal, and indeed, I've been able to rewatch many of the films I watched in university Film Studies on Kanopy, while discovering many new gems of world cinema. This resource has provided me with a window into new worlds and avenues of creativity and expression, and I highly value it.

  Thank you, Ottawa Public Library!