Subject: Monthly Report (Special
Summer Release)
Prepared by: Barbara Clubb, City Librarian
Prepared for: Ottawa Public Library Board
Date of preparation: August 9, 2011
OPL
Mission Statement: Building a strong Ottawa community by supporting literacy
and life-long learning, fostering inspiration and enjoyment and connecting
people to each other and the world. (See Appendix A for Goals and
Objectives)
1. Goal A: Provide Responsive Services
Alta Vista / Nepean Centrepointe: Congratulatory
note forwarded to both the Nepean Centrepointe and Alta Vista Branches: “Thank you for your wonderful customer service at
the Centrepointe and Alta Vista Branches! Everyone is always so helpful and go
above and beyond when required! Love discovering new books and thank you also
for opening my mind up to the wonderful world of arts and literature!! Kudos to
the OPL and all public libraries!”
Blackburn Hamlet: Une lettre
d’une cliente à Blackburn Hamlet: « La présente a pour but de porter à
votre attention l’excellent travail de Mlle Léa Séguin, assistante aux services
des usagers, à la bibliothèque Blackburn Hamlet, située au 199, promenade Glen
Park. De la période du 22 mars au 31 mai
2011, j’ai requis l’expertise de Léa pour me familiariser avec le tutoriel
d’ordinateur de la BPO (15 heures). Par
exemple, que ce soit pour employer les bases de données du catalogue de la BPO
et le menu pour effectuer une recherche ou autre, naviguer sur Internet pour y
trouver des informations aussi bien qu’assimiler le mode de mise en application
du (MS Word) traitement de texte, Léa m’a toujours assuré de son concours et de
ses connaissances pour apprendre à m’améliorer.
De plus, je désire à souligner la patience, l’écoute et l’esprit de compréhension
dont a fait preuve Léa, vu mon inexpérience totale en ces domaines à mes
débuts. J’ose croire qu’on saura lui
accorder la considération qu’elle mérite.
En terminant, je profite de l’occasion pour souhaiter à Léa de continuer
à poursuivre ses objectifs professionnels et pour l’avenir des responsabilités
à la mesure de ses talents, et ce, avec tout le succès qui s’ensuit. »
Bookmobile:
A message to Paul Lanctot at the Bookmobile: “Thanks
again for all your assistance. I have now received my first alert email! You
truly embody what Service Excellence is all about. Please forward this to your
Supervisor/Manager on my behalf.”
One
more note received from the Mayfair Planning Committee destined to Alex Yarrow
at the Bookmobile: “We would like to thank you again for your support at the 4th
Annual Mayfair event on May 28. The school appreciates your involvement and we
hope that we can count on your participation next year.”
Carp:
Gratitude from a patron who received excellent customer service at the
Carp Branch: “Dear
Barbara Clubb, I want to commend to you the help we received from Susan Grohn
at the Carp Library Branch of the Ottawa Public Library. We were trying to
connect our laptop to the library internet system and Susan very patiently helped
us for an extended period of time and successfully made the connection. We are
most grateful.”
Cumberland: A patron
sharing their experiences at the Cumberland branch. “At the age of 50, I
finally got my first library card! Since then, I have always been totally
satisfied with the staff and services rendered! I especially like that I can
read current best sellers because of your one week time limit. Then I found out
that I could renew these books for an extra week! I love to read and have never been
disappointed with the wide selection available. I even fill my love of knitting
with your great selection. That is why I chose to become a friend of the
library by making monthly donations. Twelve years later, I keep asking myself
why I didn't join sooner! The Public
Library is a wonderful resource! Thank you for this well managed service!”
General
Comment:
A response to an inquiry about the TD Summer Reading Club: “Thank you very much for your informative,
and prompt reply. I really appreciate the thought and effort that our
librarians throughout the system put into their programs to ensure that reading
is a naturally fun way to spend time.”
Main: A
response from a customer regarding a reference request at Main: “I greatly appreciate the effort, time and
consideration you and other library staff spent on this matter. Thanks for
coming through beyond my expectations, especially on such short notice. The photo was printed and became
the focal point of a piece of acrylic artwork gifted to Jessica at her baby
shower over the weekend. She was very touched and happy to receive it.”
Nepean Centrepointe: A note to children’s staff Kathleen Moore and
Susan Zuber:
“I just want to tell
you how much I appreciate all that you do for my students and I. You have
really helped in fostering the love of books for many kids. Both Kathleen
and Sue have made many book recommendations for his class, which I believe is
mostly high needs. His card also said thanks for helping my boys learn to
love reading.”
North Gloucester: A comment from a satisfied library user: “This
is the best library, the staff are very helpful and very friendly. It is a pleasure to go to this branch, and I
have been to several.”
North Gloucester: An e-mail sent to Evelyn Housch, Supervising Librarian at North Gloucester: “I just wanted to drop you a quick email to provide you feedback on the North Gloucester library. Thank you for running such a great library. The service of your team has been phenomenal. Your staff are always very helpful and usually with a smile. I especially received great assistance from Pierre Desaulniers several times. He is really a great individual! Many thanks again for a great experience.”
2. Goal B: Develop Partnerships for Accessible and
Efficient Service
Complacency,
Art, Power & Murder: The
OPL welcomed David Lester and Jean Smith to the Main Library on June 13. History buffs, art enthusiasts and graphic
novel lovers reunited as they witnessed Ms. Smith’s performance adaptation of The Listener, a graphic novel by David Lester that weaves Hitler's terrible rise to
power with the fictional story of a modern artist’s search for meaning after
the death of a political activist. The event included live music by the
band Mecca Normal. David Lester is a
painter, graphic designer, cartoonist, and guitarist in the rock duo Mecca Normal. His
art has been published in a wide variety of publications and is the author of The Gruesome Acts of Capitalism.
He does a weekly illustration for Magnet
Magazine. Jean Smith is a two-time recipient of Canada Council for the Arts awards as a
professional writer of creative fiction. Excerpts of her fiction and
articles on culture have appeared in publications including: Village Voice,
NPR online, The Globe & Mail, Rolling Stone and Review
of Contemporary Fiction. She is the singer
/ lyricist in Mecca Normal.
Lucia M of Singapore: The OPL welcomed P.C. Nicholas to the Main
Library on June 8th as she read from her latest novel Lucia M of Singapore. P.C. Nicholas was born in Singapore and now
resides in Canada. As an R.N., she
specializes in pain and anxiety management and counseling. She is also the author of Beneath the Singapore Sky.
Newcomer Services: The Family Fun Day on June 26 held at the
Walter Baker Park was quite successful with more than 30 families and around
100 people (parents and children) came to the event. The event began in the
morning with lots of games and activities, such as face painting and crafts,
Tug of War, Bean Toss, Chinese traditional games, Talent Show, Story Time in
Arabic, Chinese and English. The Ottawa
Public Health and Dental Team provided health information to the families. OPL staff coordinated the TD Summer Reading
Club registrations. LSP and OCCSC also
provided settlement information to newcomers.
Partnership Success: OPL received international recognition over
its numerous partnership arrangements thanks to a worldwide publication
entitled “Focus on International Library
and Information Work”. From offering
its users cross country ski passes to admission passes to museums, the OPL is
keeping its focus on working with key partners and extending public access to
through the Library’s 33 branches and website.
An excerpt from the article quotes Barbara Clubb, City Librarian and CEO
on the OPL’s partnership arrangement with the National Capital Commission: “I am
delighted with this new partnership because it offers access to all and
encourages people to get moving and enjoy a healthy activity.”
TD Summer Reading Club: A letter from an appreciative Library
Technician at Berrigan Elementary School:
“Today
and yesterday, we were very lucky to have Amanda Spargo come and visit Berrigan
Elementary School and Farley Mowat P.S. to speak about the Summer Reading
Program at the Public Library. I cannot say enough about what a wonderful
job Amanda does speaking to the students. She had them engrossed and
engaged the minute she started to speak and provided them with so much helpful
information about the Public Library and the Summer Reading Program.
Amanda has an amazing ability to give great “book talks”. Not only were
the students buzzing about the books when they left, but the teachers were also
excited about reading her selections. Everyone enjoyed her talk and I am
always amazed at how quiet the room becomes when she is speaking. They do not want to miss a word. This
is the third year Amanda has come to Berrigan to speak and every year the
number of classes wanting to hear her increases (word travels fast on what a
great job she does). Her first visit to Farley Mowat P.S. on Wednesday
was such a crowd pleaser and I know the staff would love to have her back next
year. Amanda truly is a great ambassador for the Public Library.”
3. Goal C: Develop our Places and Spaces
Central Archives and
Library Materials Centre: Mayor Jim Watson officially opened the new
Central Archives and Library Materials Centre to the public on Monday June 27
in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new facility on Tallwood Drive. The Mayor was joined by OPL Board Chair Jan Harder, Councillors Keith
Egli, Shad Qadri, Mark Taylor, Rick Chiarelli, and the Honourable Bob
Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure and M.P.P. for Ottawa West-Nepean. Also
in attendance were Trustees Armit, Bennett, Gourlay, and Langlois as well as
many others. The new facility was made possible thanks to a $20 million
dollar contribution from the Provincial Government’s Municipal Infrastructure
Investment Initiative. The OPL has been
afforded an opportunity to make better use of its downtown headquarters through
this partnering with the Central Archives. The official unveiling of the commissioned public artwork titled Archive by Don Maynard also took place. Mr.
Maynard’s sculpture consists of a stainless steel house floating 20 feet off
the plaza, tethered to the ground by ropes and boulders.
Ruth E. Dickinson
Branch: Feedback on the recent renovations to the
Ruth E. Dickinson Branch: “I love the layout changes. The upper floor is so quiet, with the
computer stations off to the side and many pleasant reading and work areas
close to the natural light. Thanks for
having the self checkout areas on the upper level – downstairs checkout is
bright, spacious and welcoming should one need it! Children’s area looks inviting too! Well done.”
Another customer wrote: “I love
the Children’s section. I was able to
keep my toddler under control and he was not able to get out without me. It also is great that the computers are in a
place where little hands can’t get to until a parent wants.”
West District: The project to build a new district library continues
to meet key milestones. A public information session was held on June 20, 2011
in Kanata to provide the public with a project update and to inform them that a
building placement option had been selected. Based on approved criteria and an
evaluation of all options, the preferred option selected was the two-storey
addition (retain existing library space). The next key steps for this
project include the completion of the functional building program and the
selection of a prime consultant. The OPL website remains an excellent
place to keep current with regard to this project (westdistrict@biblioOttawalibrary.ca).
4. Goal E: Be an Accountable and Innovative
Organization
Canada Day at the Rosemount Branch: On June 30th the Rosemount Branch
held a festive Canada Day celebration with trivia quizzes and activities
celebrating Canada. The event included
singing our national anthem in English and French, and creating totem poles
(fashioned out of reclaimed paper, painted and rolled by teen volunteers) using
stickers and pictures from old magazines. Heritage Canada supplied the Canadian
flag pins and bookmarks. The program featured
the book Red is Best, by a Canadian author.
Both adults and children enjoyed the portion of the program when
Jennifer sang action songs with the group. This
special afternoon program was topped off by with our delicious Canada Day
cupcakes – especially popular!
Recognizing Retiring Employees: Thanks to the generous support of the Ottawa
Public Library Foundation, a number of modest presentation gifts were acquired
to be given in recognition to retiring OPL employees. Gift options
include a lovely crystal vase, dramatic bookends, or a compact glass bowl, all
suitably inscribed with the OPL logo. As part of the City Recognition
Program, retiring employees also have access to more elaborate gifts based on
their years of service.
Teen Summer Reading: The Ottawa Public Library is holding its
summer-long contest for avid teen readers. Teens between the ages of 13 and 18
are invited to post reviews of their summer reads online and in doing so, they
are eligible to win gift certificates by weekly draw. The contest started on June 22 and will end
on September 2. The reviews can be for
any title in the library catalogue, from teen fiction to adult fiction to video
games.
TD Summer Reading Club: This year’s Summer Reading Club is already
proving to be a resounding success. The theme Splash! Celebrate Summer /
Splouff! Mouille toi being perfect for summer activities and
reading fun. In-house programs have
included Anchors Aweigh, Fresh Water Fun, Bubble Trouble, Dive Right In, A
Whale of a Tale, Mysteries of the Deep, V is for Viking, Something’s Fishy at
the Library and Chalk it up @ the Library.
In response to the water ban early in the summer, the Library offered Conversation Conservation programs at
Manotick and Ruth E. Dickinson branches.
Many branches have enjoyed programs and workshops given by external
presenters, such as Rollin’ Down the
River with staff from the Pinhey’s Point Historical Site, Rainy Day with staff from the Billings
Estate, Pirates’ Money and Buried
Treasure with staff from the Currency Museum and Water Works with the
Rideau Valley Conservation Authority staff.
Theatre groups from Odyssey Theatre presented a mask making workshop,
which complemented their beautiful displays at the Main Branch, and Once Upon A
Kingdom Theatre staged a reading of The Little Prince. Statistically speaking, the SRC registration
as of Saturday, August 6th was 14,167 as compared to last year’s
total registration of 15,151. In 2010,
the number of books read set a milestone high of 105,273. The number of books read by children who have
joined the club this year is at 95,693… with 11 days to go in SRC 2011, we
forecast another exceptional year of summer reading.
Staffing
Announcement: Monique Brûlé
has accepted the position of Manager, Collection Management. Monique’s first
day at OPL will be Monday, August 15th. Monique obtained her MLIS from the University
of Western Ontario. Her most recent position was with the Conseil des écoles
catholiques de langue française du Centre-Est, as the Manager of Library and
Community Services. She is recognized throughout the library community for her
leadership and project management skills, has many years experience analyzing,
organizing and developing collections for schools within the Conseil des écoles
catholiques de langue françaises du Centre-Est. She is also currently serving
as the President of ABO-Franco, the Francophone chapter of the Ontario Library
Association.
5. Friends of the Ottawa Public Library
Association
For all Bibliophiles at St-Laurent: The Friends now have a
self-serve book sale shelf at the St- Laurent branch of the Ottawa Public
Library! They celebrated the opening of Bibliophile
on June 18th. Dominique
Duguay was awarded a Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association mug and
book bag and three free books from the new bookshop at St-Laurent for
suggesting the bilingual winning name for the shop.
Annual General Meeting: At our Annual General meeting,
in addition to recognizing outstanding volunteers, we heard from Craig Ginther (Manager
of Innovation & Continuous Improvement at the OPL) about the future of
libraries and Josephine Norton (Manager of a number of library branches in the
West end) presented a slideshow of FOPLA's 2010 contributions. We also said goodbye to our much-appreciated
Board members whose terms had come to an end, and welcomed some new faces.
We’re happy to welcome Colin Plows (President), Bob Publicover (VP Operations),
David Weir (Secretary), Jessica Hertzog (Member-at-large), and Caitlin Emond
(Member-at-large) to the Board of Directors.
6. Upcoming
Events
·
August 26, 2011 (TBD) Official Re-Opening of Ruth E. Dickinson Branch
·
August 26, 2011 TVO: Gisele’s Reading Adventure (Ruth
E. Dickinson
Branch)
·
August 28, 2011 Ottawa Pride Parade
·
September 8, 2011 International Literacy Day (celebrations
in various
branches)
·
September 12, 2011 (4:00 p.m.) Tri-Board
Meeting
·
September 12,
2011 (6:30 p.m.) Regular OPL Board
Meeting (City of Ottawa Archives
and OPL Materials Centre)
·
October 2011 Canadian
Library Month
·
October 2-28,
2011 Teen Author Fest Event
·
October
16-22, 2011 Ontario Public
Library Week
·
October 17,
2011 (5:00 p.m.) OPL Board
Meeting (Colonel By Room, City Hall)
·
October 18,
2011 Kids Lit
Gala (Event Celebrating Local Children's Authors
and
Illustrators)
·
October 22,
2011 (2:00 p.m.) Hazeldean 30th
Anniversary Branch Celebration
·
October 17-22
(12-1 p.m. daily) Small Business
Week (Main Library Branch)
·
November 14,
2011 (3:00 p.m.) North Gower 120th
Anniversary Celebration
·
November 14,
2011 (5:00 p.m.) OPL Board Meeting
(Colonel By Room, City Hall)
·
November
14-20, 2011 Library
Counting Week
·
November 28,
2011 OPL
Foundation Gala (Ottawa Convention Centre)
·
December 12,
2011 OPL Board
Meeting (Honeywell Room, City Hall)
·
January 28,
2012 Human
Library Launch
__________________________________________
Barbara Clubb
City Librarian and
CEO
The
Ottawa Public Library Strategic Work Program is based on the Library’s,
mission, goals and objectives approved by the Board of Trustees. These are:
Mission:
Building
a strong Ottawa community by supporting literacy and life-long learning,
fostering inspiration and enjoyment and connecting people to each other and the
world.
A1 Focus on
our future leaders: engage and support key groups who will influence Ottawa’s
future success: youth, newcomers and entrepreneurs and small business, seniors
and job seekers
A2 Catch up:
build our print and electronic collections to address the gap between growing
demand and current supply
A3 Be
virtual: enhance technology-based access and services
A4 Good reads
and the right information: support life-long learning, literacy and reading for
all
A5 Stay
‘open’ for our citizens: provide more and better hours of service
Goal B Develop
partnerships for accessible and efficient service
B1 Add value:
leverage public investment by working with other city departments and partners
on key initiatives
B2 Be a
window to the City: extend public access to City information and services
through the Library’s 33 branches, mobile services and website
Goal C Develop
our places and spaces
C1 Care for
what we have: implement upgrades and improvements in existing branches
C2 Build
community – fill the ‘holes’: develop
new branches to support growth and address service gaps
C3 Reduce the
barriers: enhance accessibility to our services through physical and technology
upgrades
C4 Go
green: Demonstrate environmental
leadership in all future facility development
Goal D Build a
New Central Library
D1 Transform
our future and preserve our past:
Develop a new Central Library as a civic and cultural focal point, which
supports the City’s goals of being inclusive, creative, innovative, proud and
liveable
Goal E Be an Accountable and
Innovative Organization
E1 Develop
our people: ensure effective staff and volunteer development, including the
Board, the Friends and the Foundation
E2 Use
technology wisely: Utilize the power of
technology to extend our services, make connections with our citizens, and
realize ongoing efficiencies
E3 Measure
what matters: implement a new approach to performance measurement that informs
our continuous improvement and more accurately reflects the value-added roles
the Library is playing
E4 Tell our story: build increased awareness of what the Library
has to offer and report on progress to the public and taxpayers
E5 Support OPL Board Governance and Priority
Setting