01 Sep, 2011
Welcome to our newest patron: The Ottawa Public Library
Posted by andrea tomkins in: Fishbowl patrons
Oh, library.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
Regular readers might already know how much I love the Ottawa Public Library. I’ve written about it here and there on the blog, as well as in an article for SavvyMom.
The library is a godsend, and it’s an incredibly important (and large!) part of our lives.
The library helps promote literacy and learning and provides all kinds of amazing programs for a whole range of different people. Everyone is welcome at the library. It’s a place for newcomers to get help, for seniors to find support, for teens to get a hand with their homework, and more. It’s a portal, it’s a hub, it’s a meeting place.
We’ve benefited from our local library so much. We’ve borrowed stacks upon stacks of books and movies. Long family road trips have been made easier because of their great digital audiobook collection. We’ve participated in countless family programs (especially over March Break!) and I am in awe of their interlibrary loan and reservation system, as well as their cool new app which allows me to have the catalogue and reservation system at my fingertips and manage my account (which includes helpful “at a glance” knowledge of my holds and fines). This is a mixed blessing because sometimes I don’t want to know how much we owe. :)
There is so much going on at Ottawa libraries – so much available – and it’s truly mind-boggling. And it seems like they do it quietly and without much fanfare. They host birthday parties, lend museum passes, pedometers, give people access to all kinds of online publications and databases (including Consumer Reports!), and that is just scratching the surface. You really need to poke around the site and see for yourself.
It’s clear that the people behind the Ottawa Public Library are innovative, helpful, and passionate about all that they do. That’s why I’m thrilled to bits that they’ve come on board as a Fishbowl patron.
As kids head back to school the OPL is launching their Every Kid a Card campaign. They believe, as I do, that student success begins with a library card. The library card is a key to a great big world of fun and learning.
The girls each got one a couple of years ago, and I can’t tell you how much having their very own card means to them. To have that card in hand, along with the ability to check out library materials under their own name, is a big deal. And at the Ottawa Library, card-carrying students can receive homework help and benefit from the expertise of librarians, use the computers, and participate in book clubs as well as all kinds of other great activities.
So card your kids! Visit your local branch or bookmobile stop to get your children carded and ready for school. It’s free, and it’s a very quick and easy process. And once your kid has that card in his or her hot little hands, stand back and watch the sparks fly.
Thank you OPL, for everything that you do!
