The Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association (FOPLA) created a bursary through the Algonquin College Foundation in 2011. Each year since its establishment a student in the Library and Information Technician program in his or her second semester and in financial need is awarded $1000 from our bursary to help ease the financial strain of tuition and study materials. In recognition of the great value our volunteers bring to our organization, recipients must also demonstrate community volunteerism in the past year.

Here, we share some letters of thanks from recent recipients.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude for this bursary. Thank you so much! It is with great relief that I accept this assistance with paying for my studies. This bursary relieves a great amount of stress for me. This generosity will allow me to truly focus on my studies so that I may succeed. I feel one step closer to reaching my dreams of working in the library field.Warmly,Alexandra Vantyghem

I would like to thank you for your generosity. I

We’re Helping Students on Their Way to Library Careers!

English Edition Summer 2015 ISSN: 0822-658-X

have been really enjoying the LIT program here at Algonquin. I can’t believe that I’m halfway to my dream job. Financial worries and stress can hinder success. Thank you so much for helping to relieve some of these worries. Crystal McCrossin

Thank you for selecting me as one of the students receiving the bursary for this semester! The bursary will be put to good use for the rest of the semester!Thank you,Kara Seguin

President’s MessageDear Friends,

When you think of the Ottawa Public Library right now, there’s a good chance a new central library is top of mind. There is still plenty of work to be done before the dream of a new central library can be realized, but we are very pleased with the achievement of the latest milestone for this project: approval by City Council of Central Library Development as a strategic initiative in the 2015-2018 Term of Council Priorities. In this newsletter we have put together a timeline of events leading up to this milestone and encourage you, as library supporters, to get involved in each new step as this project continues. There will be an opportunity for the public to submit feedback on the design and site characteristics this fall. Keep an eye on the Ottawa Public Library website (BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca) for details as the event nears.

Other than the excitement of a new central library in the news, FOPLA has kept busy fulfilling its mission to support the Ottawa Public Library system and promote literacy. In this issue of our newsletter you will see: letters of thanks from recipients of our bursary award at Algonquin College; a writing program FOPLA has recently funded; and an update about excess Spanish books donated to Guatemalan children in need, among other updates.

We continue to seek new ways to honour our mandate and support our incredible library system. Thank you for your help in upholding our mission to advocate for the Ottawa Public Library, promote literacy, and fundraise for library materials and services. Without your contributions we would not be the most successful library Friends group in Canada.

Respectfully yours, Colin W. Plows President, Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association

Summer 2015 - 2 Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association

A New Central Library Coming to the Capital

A central library that meets the modern needs of users is long overdue in Ottawa, and after years of dreaming of a welcoming and accessible space that holds the capacity for contemporary learning it appears the dream that we wished may come true. With Central Library Development recently approved as a strategic initiative by City Council, we are one step closer to seeing the vision of a new Central Library come to fruition. We look forward to working with the Ottawa Public Library (OPL) to bring this vision to reality.Here is a timeline of central library developments:• July 7, 2014: OPL board asked staff to investigate the possibility of a partnership for a library rebuild after a report from Ajon Moriyama Architect revealed the high cost of renovating the current library.The modernization options presented were:- Renewal: 109,000 sq. ft of usable space with a lifespan of 15-20 years and a cost of $40 million;- Renovation: 115,000 sq. ft. of usable space with a lifespan of 25-35 years and a cost of $50 million; and,- Redevelopment: 131,000 sq. ft. of usable space with a lifespan of at least 40 years and a cost of $70 million.• March 31, 2015: The public was invited to provide input into the spaces and services of a future central library at a public forum held at Ottawa City Hall. The public was also invited to share their ideas through an online discussion and on an “ideas board” at the library’s main branch.• June 9, 2015: The OPL Board approved the next stages of the Ottawa Central Library project, recommending the city build a new central library rather than renovate the existing branch to best meet programming needs, based on a consulting firm’s business case which identified that the options to renew, renovate, or redevelop wouldn’t fully address the deficiencies of the current space. • July 8, 2015: Ottawa City Council approved the Central Library Development strategic initiative in its 2015 – 2018 Term of Council Priorities.This autumn, OPL will be seeking public input on building design concepts and site characteristics. Information on how to get involved will be made available at OttawaCentralLibrary.ca, where you can subscribe to the mailing list to receive updates on the project.

Board of Directors 2015 - 2016

Directors-at-Large:

Colin Plows, President (Now Recruiting)

Ben Godby, Vice-president of Operations

Bryant McNamara, Vice-president Communications

Vlad Uher, Vice President Special Projects

Matthew Geigen-Miller, Secretary

Brenda Rosenberg, Treasurer

Penelope Gould, Member-at-large

Ann Stuurman, Member-at-large

John Lobsinger, Member-at-large

Local Committee Representatives:

Carol Kerfoot (Ottawa Local Committee)

Josephine Norton (Goulbourn - Rideau Local Committee)

-- (Vanier Local Committee) (Now Recruiting)

Judy Evans (Nepean Local Committee)

Heather Murphy (Kanata Local Committee)

Colin Plows (Cumberland - Orleans Local Committee)

Richard Bellaire (Greenboro Local Committee)

Staff:

Jasmine Ball

FOPLA Board volunteers:

Michel Goyette — Translation

If you are interested in an available position, please fill out an application form

from our website.

www.OttawaPublicLibraryFriends.ca

Summer 2015 - 3Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association

Summer 2015 - 4 Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association

We would like to recognize Mr. Ernest Côté, who died on February 25th, 2015 at the age of 101, for all of his work supporting and championing the Ottawa Public Library in his lifetime.

Mr. Côté, a WWII veteran and senior federal public servant, was a longstanding member of the OPL Board of Directors, serving as Board Chair for several years in the 1980s. During his tenure he co-founded our library’s Friends group (FOPLA) and established the FOPLA trust fund with his own funds, convincing others to contribute as well. He then served on the trust fund committee, managing its growth for many years.

Later, in recognition of FOPLA’s 25th anniversary in 2006, Mr. Côté co-created the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Scholarship along with FOPLA, providing a generous donation to establish the fund. This scholarship was created to benefit students of the Information Studies program at the University of Ottawa. FOPLA

Remembering Mr. Ernest Côté

aimed to add to the fund incrementally until it became self-sustainable but, after receiving a Christmas card from Lori Nash (a former FOPLA president) in December 2009, Mr. Côté committed to a second sizable donation to help the scholarship fund achieve sustainable status.

Mr. Côté challenged FOPLA and the Ottawa Public Library Foundation to match his contribution, and all contributions were subsequently matched by the University of Ottawa, bringing the scholarship fund’s total to $100,000. This allowed for scholarships for future librarians from the National Capital Region to be awarded from the interest earned from the fund. One (and sometimes two) eligible student(s) can now receive a $2000 scholarship each year.

Mr. Côté will be remembered as a notable advocate and benefactor of libraries and librarianship in this city.

Summer 2015 - 5Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association

This April the Ottawa Public Library thanked the Friends volunteers who work so hard at in the Goulbourne Rideau Local Committee, which includes the Stittsville, Manotick, and North Gower library branches, to support the OPL system.

Local volunteers raised $15,349.43 for OPL in 2014. Way to go!

Way to go Goulbourne-Rideau!

In February our volunteers at the James Bartleman Centre collected excess Spanish books to sell to the Guatemala Stove Project (GSP), a charity that enables girls in Guatemala to continue their education. A GSP volunteer, Janet Allan, shared, “I have distributed the 210 books and they were appreciated everywhere. We have a special partner in Xela and her three daughters were delighted to get a storybook. Five schools received about forty books where no fiction books are available. We also gave a few “private” books which we gave to each of our special bursary students.”

FOPLA Books Find New Homes in Guatemala

Our volunteers at the Richmond library branch have launched a book sale operation with a competition inviting local residents to suggest a name for their new book store. The entrant whose bookstore name is selected will win a “bagful of bestsellers” (for an adult) or a lunch bag of books (for a child), including stationary items. We look forward to having a new creative bookstore name to add to our collection.

A Store Looking for a Name

Photo: Rheal Doucette, OPL/BPO

Winners of Awesome Authors Youth Writing Contest Announced at 20th Anniversary Ceremony

Summer 2015 - 6 Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association

This year the Ottawa Public Library celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Awesome Authors youth writing contest. The competition, which is sponsored by the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association (FOPLA), ran from December 2014 to February 2015 and winners were announced March 31st at an awards ceremony at the Centrepointe Theatre.

Judges, J.C. Sulzenko, Michel Lavoie, and Caroline Pignat read and evaluated 466 poems and stories in French and English, eventually identifying 51 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 along with a few words of encouragement for all of the writers in the audience.

The winners’ works will be available for purchase this fall in pot-pourri, an anthology of short stories and poems published by the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library. Be sure to join us for the book launch and readings in October to purchase your copy and see for yourself how incredible Ottawa’s young authors’ talent can be.

A new cover for pot-pourri!Congratulations to Milong Wang, winner of our pot-pourri cover design contest!

Milong’s drawing will be used as inspiration for the cover of pot-pourri 2015 and Milong will be credited for the cover design on the back cover of the book.

Summer 2015 - 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

Bookends - Beaverbrook branch

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

The Book Mark - Carlingwood branch

Carp Book Corner - Carp branch

Keepers - Centennial branch

Dusty Jackets - Elmvale Acres

Twice Told Tales - Emerald Plaza

The Book Stop - Greely branch

Book Nook - Hazeldean branch

Island Reads - Manotick branch

Déjà Vu - North Gloucester branch

Coral’s Corner - North Gower branch

Encore Orleans - Orléans branch

[Untitled] - Richmond branch

Two Stories Bookstore - Ruth E. Dickinson branch

Bibliophile - St. Laurent branch

A Good Read - Stittsville branch

Sunny Seconds - Sunnyside branch

Signets Vanier Bookmarks - Vanier branch

Specialty Book Sales

By The Book - Greenboro District Library

The Book Bar - Main Library

Collector’s Corner - Main Library & Nepean Centrepointe branch

Monthly Mammoth Book Sales – Monthly at the James Bartleman Archives and Library Materials Centre, 100 Tallwood Drive