At our Annual General Meeting on June 18th, FOPLA president, Colin Plows, shared our organization’s 2012 successes with an audience of volunteers, revealing that FOPLA volunteers donated 27,879.75 hours of their time in 2012 yielding $321,805 in sales of used books. He also announced that thanks to their contributions, and to revenues carried forward from prior years, we will be donating $350,000 to the Ottawa Public Library in 2013.

In addition to electing new Board members and recognizing outstanding volunteers, FOPLA’s membership was treated to a behind the scenes look at the Library’s strategic plan and the library of the future from the Ottawa Public Library’s CEO, Danielle McDonald. Her enthusiasm was unmistakable as she discussed the Library’s recent Imagine campaign (see page 3), which sought feedback from library users about what they’d like our branches to offer. The Library received hundreds of responses and is excited to implement some new ideas.

On the Cusp of Change

FOPLA president, Colin Plows, presents OPL CEO, Danielle McDonald, with a cheque for $350,000

Photo: Rheal Doucette (OPL)

Carp Friends Celebrate 5 Years!

On June 7th, our Friends at the Carp library branch celebrated their bookstore’s 5th anniversary and revealed that since the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library started volunteering at the branch they have raised $30,066.32!Lori Fielding, Supervising Librarian at Carp’s library, stated that volunteers are “the lifeblood of the Carp library branch” and shared that before the Friends started operating “Carp Book Corner,” the library earned about $500 from used book sales in a year. Through their efforts, the Friends at the Carp library branch have increased that

amount to over $5000 per year.“Not bad when you’re selling books for a toonie,” volunteer bookstore manager Kirsten Smith quipped. Kirsten went on to say, “I know every cent of it has been muchly appreciated and well spent.” She noted that the astounding amount raised over the past five years was “a testament to the wonderful volunteers.” FOPLA is proud to have such dedicated volunteers on our team!

English Edition Summer 2013 ISSN: 0822-658-X

FOPLA volunteers at Carp branch display their store’s earnings.Photo: Sharp

President’s MessageDear Friends,

This newsletter’s theme is looking to the future. The Ottawa Public Library (OPL) is excellent at spotting trends in library use and reacting to customers’ changing needs. Our Library’s desire to connect with community members in order to offer the best service explains why all of its branches are so well-loved in neighbourhoods across the city. This spring, the OPL asked library users for feedback on the programs and materials it offers, and encouraged patrons to make suggestions for further improvements. You can read about the results of this ‘Imagine’ campaign on page 3.

FOPLA is excited to support the Library in its continuous quest for better service and our Board is looking to our organization’s future and growth as well. It is our intention to open new bookstores at libraries where there is not a FOPLA presence and also to explore new ways to raise funds for our library. A special working group led by the new Vice President Operations will be convened this fall to explore expanded fundraising possibilities and every FOPLA member is welcome to participate in that project.

At our Annual General Meeting we welcomed a few new members to the Board of Directors and look forward to their input. A new initiative introducing staggered terms will ensure an effective mix of members with past experience on FOPLA’s Board and new members keen to build on FOPLA’s good work. This summer our new Board members will undergo more orientation sessions and get acquainted with their new colleagues and roles, so they will be prepared to develop our 2014 strategic priorities and prepare for our annual 2014 donation when our regular meetings return in the fall.

We have made progress on this year’s strategic plan. One of our Board’s goals was to open new lines of operation to increase FOPLA’s profits. This year we have opened a new used bookshop in that Manotick branch, and we will be given space in the newly renovated (and enlarged) Emerald Plaza branch. FOPLA can also look forward to a stand-alone used book store at the new West District Library (previously Beaverbrook branch) once it opens in the summer of 2014. At this exciting time of growth, we can certainly use more volunteers. In particular we need a bookstore manager at Emerald Plaza and one at the new West District Library. We will prepare and support these new stores and their volunteers in every way and set those teams up for success. If you think you might be able to help or you know of someone who would like to join the FOPLA team and work at these two new stores, please contact our administrative assistant, Marie (Marie.Petersen@BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca).

All of the work we do today and in the future is possible because of the invaluable work each volunteer provides toward our mandate to enhance and promote Ottawa Public Library programs and services. Thank you for all that you contribute.

Sincerely,

Colin Plows, President

The Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association Board of Directors

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Board of Directors 2013 - 2014

Directors-at-Large:

Colin Plows, President

Ben Godby, Vice-president of Operations

Melissa Nisbett, Vice-president Advocacy and Public Relations

Matthew Geigen-Miller, Secretary

Sean Ingutia, Treasurer

Anne Rutherford, Member-at-large

Anthony Beck, Member-at-large

Shelly McQuillen, Member-at-large

Stanley Lowe, Member-at-large

Cindy Streefkerk, Past-president

Local Committee Representatives:

Carol Kerfoot (Ottawa Local Committee)

Anthony Beck (Goulbourn - Rideau Local Committee)

-- (Vanier Local Committee)

Judy Wisking (Nepean Local Committee)

Heather Murphy (Kanata Local Committee)

Colin Plows (Cumberland - Orleans Local Committee)

Richard Bellaire (Greenboro Local Committee)

Part-time staff:

Marie Petersen – Administrative Assistant

Jasmine Ball - Public Relations Assistant

FOPLA Board volunteers:

Michel Goyette — Translation

Summer 2013 - 3Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association

Imagine the Library of the Future

The Ottawa Public Library’s (OPL) Imagine Campaign, which solicited ideas and comments from citizens on their vision of the Library of the future, came to an end on June 15.An astounding number of people participated: more than 2,800 ideas and comments were posted online and 27,070 votes were received.OPL received overwhelming support for its current services, especially for enabling customers to place holds on materials. Customers indicated that they want more eBooks, but not at the expense of the physical collection. Participants also discussed various uses of Library spaces, including spaces for creation and co-working and dedicated spaces for quiet reading and for busy children’s activities.The next steps for this campaign will involve detailed textual data mining and analysis, as well as targeted focus groups to validate the data.

A Look at Ottawa’s Libraries

Summer 2013 - 4 Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association

Photo: Christopher Ryan

of sharing our libraries’ value in the larger community. Ms. Cavanagh advocated for mobility in library services; Ms. Weir explained that university librarians are now ‘embedding’ themselves all over campus so researchers can benefit from a librarian-in-residence of sorts; Ottawa’s public libraries have a number of outreach programs – from newcomer and student services, to homebound visits and bookmobile stops in communities without library branches.

Many might not fully realize the value libraries and library staff provide. Libraries provide information as well as access, which is just as important in the Internet age as at any other time. While Ms. Weir acknowledged that almost everything can be found online, she stated that 80% of it is locked behind paywalls. Libraries make available content that is otherwise locked up. Library staff can also help users find the most relevant information for their needs, from an authoritative source. At the OPL, business librarians provide resources and advice for entrepreneurs and job seekers; genealogists help people explore their family histories; and library staff teaches customers how to use digital devices. Ottawa’s public libraries also provide information through community partnerships, such as Ottawa Public Health, Citizen and Immigration Canada and Invest Ottawa.

The Digital Shift

Another issue discussed by the panel was the tension between digital and physical materials in libraries. Digital materials like e-books, music, and online databases are highly used by OPL customers, and staff is trained to help users navigate new tools and devices. Of course, physical materials have not declined in popularity so libraries must give weight to physical and digital items when purchasing new materials. But publishers have made purchasing e-books for library use difficult.

Jennifer Stirling explained that the OPL is advocating for easier access to e-books and fairer terms for libraries, as a member of the Canadian Urban Libraries Council (CULC). Ms. Stirling shared that the current terms vary; some publishers set limits for the number of times a book can be checked out and others raise the cost of e-books significantly. There is certainly a lot of work to be done on this front, but negotiations are underway and libraries remain hopeful. Regardless of the struggles they face, libraries recognize that users are demanding digital content and libraries will strive to provide it.

And that was the most consistent message of the night. The future of libraries is in the hands of library users. Libraries will always provide essential services, but the way they provide those services will change as their customers’ needs change. It is up to us to state our desires. Out libraries will adapt to meet them.

As part of the Apt613 Talks series, on June 26th Apartment613 assembled a panel of local librarians to discuss the future of libraries in Ottawa, and to share some of their recent innovations with a room packed with library users and advocates. On the stage were:

• Jennifer Stirling - Division Manager for System-Wide Services & Innovation at the Ottawa Public Library

• Leslie Weir - University Librarian at the University of Ottawa and former executive with the Canadian Association of Research Libraries

• Mary Cavanagh - Assistant Professor in Information Studies at the University of Ottawa

Places and Spaces

A key discussion topic was the changing role of libraries in terms of how library space is used. The University of Ottawa’s library has relocated 60% of its collection in order to enable students to make use of shared space in support of collaboration and research. This solution has served library users well, as materials are easily retrieved by library staff on

the same day a request is made. We have seen a similar value placed on space in Ottawa Public Library (OPL) branches. When library furnishings are replaced the OPL purchases desks, shelving and seating that can move easily so space can be repurposed for library programs and community events.

A library’s function as a community space is becoming ever more essential, and this is reflected in the OPL’s Strategic Plan. The OPL offers a wealth of programs, workshops, and information sessions to its customers. It also works to cater its offerings to each branch’s tastes, analyzing user data to deliver the right programs to the right branches.

Sharing Knowledge in the Communities We Serve

Related to the discussion of library space was the concept

The winners of this year’s Awesome Authors youth writing contest, which ran from December 2012 to February 2013, were announced on March 26th at an Awards Ceremony in The Chamber at Ben Franklin Place. Young writers and their parents, grandparents, siblings, and best friends filled the seats to find out who had won.

The Ottawa Public Library holds the contest annually, with sponsorship from FOPLA.

Judges, J.C. Sulzenko, Michel Lavoie, and Brenda Chapman made their way through hundreds of poems and stories in French and English, whittling down to 46 winners who, they felt, produced the most impressive works. They announced the winners in the categories they judged, and treated the audience to

an excerpt from each winning text. There were some returning winners and some new names, but all of the Awesome Authors who received awards grinned from ear to ear.

The winners’ works will be included this fall in pot-pourri, an anthology of short stories and poems published by the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library. The anthology will be

available in the fall, so be sure to join us for the book launch on Tuesday, October 8th at 6pm in the Auditorium of the OPL Main Library. At the launch you can hear some of the young writers read their works and purchase a copy of pot-pourri 2013 so you can see for yourself how incredible Ottawa’s young authors’ talent can be.

Winners of Awesome Authors Youth Writing Contest Announced

FOPLA Board member, Shelly McQuillen speaks at the Awesome Authors ceremony Photo: Rheal Doucette (OPL)

The OPL’s “Ottawa Poets A-Twitter Contest” ran from April 6-16. Local authors Rob Mclennan and Christine McNair were tasked with sifting through the 35 submissions and selecting the winning entries. The winning English language poems were:

Ottawa Poets A-Twitter

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JC Sulzenko: April / Winter conspires with Spring / in a caprice of snow. / Robin-red on white, / their pennant defies the sun to shine.

40-Watt Spotlight: He was sorry, but not like she thought. He was

wrong, but not like she thought. They were happy, but not like they hoped.

Pearl Pirie: Lacing showier air-holes. latticework, let us work lettuce work, rabbitting puckered verbs, smocked nouns between needlingsThe winners received a prize pack provided by the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library.

Leo Yerxa and James Bartleman at the Ottawa Public Library

In December 2012, Jennifer Johnson, Librarian at Rosemount Branch, arranged for James Bartleman, literacy advocate and former Lieutenant-Governor for the province of Ontario, and Leo Yerxa, a local author and illustrator and winner of a 2006 Governor General’s Literary Award, to speak to children and youth in our community at the Odawa Native Friendship Centre. Following the events, FOPLA received a letter from Ms. Johnson, acknowledging our gift of funding. Ms. Johnson was happy to report that the presentations had been well-received and she thanked “the members of the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library for their generous support.” In her letter, Ms. Johnson included a brief summary of each event.

In a presentation to a group of local youths, Mr. Bartleman shared accounts from his childhood

Leo Yerxa displays his art

wrote, “Mr. Yerxa very generously brought original artwork from two of his books.” When sharing his artwork from Last Leaf, First Snowflake to Fall, Mr Yerxa “recounted the late fall when he and his father would go out on the trap line together, travelling by canoe. He explained his use of perspective in sometimes making the natural creatures larger than the people, to emphasize their significance.” Mr. Yerxa also brought several three-dimensional models, which he had created for Ancient Thunder “in paint and tissue paper collage,” to show the children. He invited questions and allowed the children to touch the artwork on display, “to help them better experience his techniques.”

Both events sound like they were a delight for everyone involved and FOPLA is pleased to have been able to support such powerful programming, offered by the Ottawa Public Library.

and his professional life to communicate the importance of resilience. He championed the power of literacy and education and offered students a personalized experience, asking each attendee to introduce himself or herself and greeting everyone in return. Ms. Johnson shared, “As a strong advocate for literacy, he told them his first library consisted of the comics found at the local dump, which he and his brother rescued, read and re-read.” The students were moved by his stories.

At a separate event for children, Ms. Johnson

Summer 2013 - 6 Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association

Summer 2013 - 7Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association

For opening hours, please call the bookstore or visit our website at www.OttawaPublicLibraryFriends.ca

Friends Bookstores

Friends’ Volunteer Bookshops

The Friends’ Bookshop - Main Library Telephone: 613-580-2945 Extension 32346

The Bookworm - Cumberland branch Telephone: 613-580-2424 Extension 39896

By The Book - Greenboro District Library Telephone: 613-580-2957 Extension 32626

Second Editions - Nepean Centrepointe branch Telephone: 613-580-2424 Extension 41491

Self-Serve Ongoing Book Sales

The Bookery - Alta Vista branch

Mille Feuilles - Blackburn Hamlet branch

Carp Book Corner - Carp branch

Keepers - Centennial branch

Dusty Jackets - Elmvale Acres

The Book Stop - Greely branch

Book Nook - Hazeldean branch

Encore Orleans - Orléans branch

Déjà Vu - North Gloucester branch

Bibliophile - St. Laurent branch

A Good Read - Stittsville branch

Signets Vanier Bookmark - Vanier branch

Specialty Book Sales

By The Book - Greenboro District Library

The Book Bar - Main Library

Collector’s Corner - Main Library & Nepean Centrepointe branch

Mini-Mammoth Book Sales – held monthly during the school year at the Central Archives and Ottawa Public Library Materials Centre (100 Tallwood Drive)

The Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association is

growing again! Expect to see new bookstores

in the Manotick, Elmvale Acres and West District

library branches in the near future.

Volunteer positions available!

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I want to help my library and contribute to my community by becoming a member of FOPLA.

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120 Metcalfe Street, 5th Floor, Ottawa, ON, K1P 5M2

If you

- believe in the value of literacy and learning

- love your Ottawa libraries

- want to support your library

- want to become a member of a winning team

The Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association (FOPLA) is the right choice for you.

With its multiple bookstores, specialty sales, and community involvement, FOPLA has become the leading fundraising friends organization in Canada. Join us and become a proud member of a group that supports our public libraries and fosters life-long learning.

We understand that community members want to be informed and want their voices heard. As a member of FOPLA, you will:

• have voting rights at the Annual General Meeting

• have voting rights at local committee meetings

• be entitled to sit on the Board of Directors

• be given advance notice of FOPLA events and activities

To further recognize our members, we give them:

• a membership card and a $2 gift coupon redeemable at any FOPLA bookstore

But most importantly, as a member you will:

• know that you are giving back to your library

• know that you are advancing the mission of the library

• feel good about supporting a resource that helps our whole community

Become a Member