What We Do

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Funding Priorities set by the Library

The Ottawa Public Library is an outstanding public service open to all the people of Ottawa. But municipal taxes are not enough to sustain the largest bilingual library on the continent. Many people benefit from the Library’s resources, services and programs. For small businesses and workers, the Ottawa Public Library is a major resource centre. For newcomers and long-time residents alike, the public library is a social, cultural and economic hub. For seniors the library is a gathering centre and a cultural life-line.

Your donation to the Foundation will help fund some of the more urgent needs and programs of the Ottawa Public Library.

Kids and the Joy of Reading

Many branches of the Ottawa Public Library provide story-telling and reading programs for groups of children of varied ages. These help the parent, the family and the school, to support the children on their journey to reading and literacy.

Adult learning and overcoming illiteracy

The Ottawa Public Library supports adults learning to read or to improve their reading skills.  Illiteracy and low-literacy are impact many individuals. Adults who have poor reading, writing and numeracy skills want to overcome these barriers. The Library partners with a wide variety of community groups to provide support for individuals to develop 21^st century literacy skills including digital, civic and financial literacy competencies. In addition, the Library strives to deliver on a digital strategy that narrows the technology divide between experienced and novice customers and between those with access to technology and those without.

Reading and learning are lifelong experiences. Many adults who know one language want to learn another language. The Library’s collections include materials in English and French as well as many of the additional languages spoken in Ottawa including Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, Spanish, Persian, Urdu, Tagalog and Somali.

Teen Resources

New technologies have had major impacts on society particularly on teens. Teens have new way of seeing and new ways of reading. Some leave high-school without graduating.  The Library’s Teen Zones, gaming centres, and targeted resources and services provide special spaces where teens receive support and encouragement to stay in school and reach their full potential.

Overcoming Disabilities

Some users of the Ottawa Public Library require assistive technology to use its services and programs. These technologies are expensive but essential and highly beneficial for persons living with disabilities. The Foundation has been able to support this priority but more is needed.

The Library faces major challenges maintaining and renewing current facilities and building new places and spaces to serve as vital, welcoming and safe community hubs for citizens to meet, connect, study and discover.

The ability to read and write cannot be taken for granted and is more important than ever. These are skills many of us acquired early in childhood and they carry us through school, work and leisure. However, the acquiring of 21^st century literacy skills is a lifelong journey that needs to be continually sustained and nurtured.

Your gift to the Ottawa Public Library Foundation helps sustain these important programs and services which your public library offers to all Ottawans.

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