Me & My Library

What does Ottawa Public Library mean to you?

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  Library Commentary

  by A.C, over 1 year 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, over 1 year 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, over 1 year 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, over 1 year 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, over 1 year 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, over 1 year 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, over 1 year 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, over 1 year 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, over 1 year 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!

  
  
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  A Comforting Encounter with Roch Carrier

  by resplendentverdant, over 1 year ago

  In 1954, my family moved across the river from Hull to Ottawa. We left behind a modest suburban home in Wrightville in favour of a far larger rural farm house near Hog’s Back. The property we rented was owned by the National Capital Commission. It was a hundred acres in size, came complete with a barn and other out-buildings, and boasted an apple orchard and fields planted with asparagus and rhubarb. It was wonderful. My two younger brothers and I were enrolled in the Catholic School Board’s Ecole St.Thomas d’Aquin on Bank Street We travelled to and fro twice a... Continue reading

  In 1954, my family moved across the river from Hull to Ottawa. We left behind a modest suburban home in Wrightville in favour of a far larger rural farm house near Hog’s Back. The property we rented was owned by the National Capital Commission. It was a hundred acres in size, came complete with a barn and other out-buildings, and boasted an apple orchard and fields planted with asparagus and rhubarb. It was wonderful. My two younger brothers and I were enrolled in the Catholic School Board’s Ecole St.Thomas d’Aquin on Bank Street We travelled to and fro twice a day on an Ottawa Transportation Commission bus. Space in the school was divided between Francophone and Anglophone students in roughly equal numbers. About half of the students lived, like ourselves, in Ottawa’s then rural south, many of them on dairy farms. The other students lived close by the school in Alta Vista in shiny new Campeaubuilt houses. While my mother and father were bilingual, my siblings and I did not know how to speak or read in English at the time of our move. That was about to change rapidly as we began to mingle with our peers in the neighbourhood and at school.

  Every Saturday, my parents visited their parents in Hull. Often, before continuing on their way to Hull with my younger brothers Marc and Bruno. They would drop off my brother Philippe and me at Ottawa’s children’s library. This was not the Ottawa Public Library’s (OPL) main branch on Metcalfe Street. That was an imposing stone building with wide, steep stairs leading up to heavy doors topped by a breathtaking stained glass window at the entrance. The children’s library was far more humble, an older, two-story house on Laurier Avenue. It looked much like our farm house. Philippe and I felt very comfortable there. Our Saturday arrivals coincided with that of many other children, who gathered to have a librarian read a story to them. I vividly remember listening to my first story, a book entitled The Five Chinese Brothers, by Claire Hutchet-Bishop. The illustrations were in black and white and the story was all in English, of which I did not think I understood a single word! Still, both my brother and I caught the gist of the tale. After the reading, I was successful in borrowing the same book using my newly-issued library card.

  The experience was quite a novelty for Philippe and me, as I do not believe that Hull had a public library at the time; at least one we had visited. This library in Ottawa was the first we had ever been in. We were able to borrow up to three books each. There were certainly few age appropriate French-language books available and, I expect, fewer still that might have been written by French-Canadian authors. So our selections leaned heavily towards English language books, of which there was a much larger selection, many with colourful, attractive covers. When we arrived home, my mother would translate the books into French for us, just as she read aloud her French translation, earlier on Saturday morning, of the text of the coloured comics section tucked into the fat weekend edition of the Ottawa Journal.

  That children’s library downtown was later demolished, at which point we discovered the attractions of the OPL’S Sunnyside Branch on Saturday, and of its neighbour on Bank Street, the Mayfair Theatre. Here, a Saturday matinée offered up two feature films, a serial episode, previews, a cartoon and a news clip - all for 20 cents! It was great if your preferences included musicals and cowboys movies. Initially, my enjoyment of a Mayfair matinée was somewhat diminished by my minimal understanding of the English language and the fact that I had myopia. Over time, of course, my siblings and I learned to read, speak and understand English. More slowly perhaps, French-Canadian children’s books made their way into our school rooms and home environment.

  Following a wonderful, happy career teaching classes of young children in French immersion programs, I set out to enjoy an equally fulfilling and busy retirement. One of my early volunteer jobs was as an usher at Nepean’s Centrepointe (now Meridian) Theatre. One afternoon, I volunteered as usher when the then-Librarian of Canada’s National Library, Roch Carrier, came to visit the theatre. M. Carrier is the author of the much-loved book The Hockey Sweater. Hundreds of children, mostly wearing the sweaters of NHL teams or of those they played on locally, came to listen as M. Carrier read his book. Many asked him to autograph their copies of the book brought with them from home. Following the reading, I had the good fortune of being able to chat with M.Carrier. I told him that I was a Francophone and mentioned, that growing up in our household, we had access to few, if any, French-Canadian children’s books. I told him that, in stark contrast, my husband and his siblings had read to them, or read themselves, several books by English-Canadian authors, such as Anne of Green Gables and Who Has Seen the Wind, complemented by other children’s books from Great Britain, the United States and elsewhere. I admitted that I was ashamed by the very limited access I had as a child to the enrichment of children’s literature in my first language, written by French Canadians. M. Carrier replied that he, too, had very few French-Canadian books in his household when growing up in Sainte Justine, Quebec. His family was then recovering from the Great Depression and books and libraries were neither a priority in his household nor in the province where he grew up. However, he said, he overcame this deficit as an adult.

  Ever since our meeting, I take happiness and comfort from the thought that, despite having limited access as a youngster to French-Canadian children’s literature, M. Carrier was able to author one of the most beloved children’s books yet written by a Canadian Francophone, and went on from that accomplishment to be appointed Librarian of Canada’s National Library on Wellington Street, the person in charge of curating and caring for all of the books printed in Canada and housed in that building.