SERVICES that are customer centric

Act as a catalyst for exploration and discovery

The Imagine Space - OPL’s makerspace - started undergoing an expansion to meet the growing needs of customers. The improvements made to the space included doubling its size to 820 square feet, adding a second, larger and more powerful laser cutter, and installing a dedicated green wall for photo/video shoots. The newly expanded and improved Imagine Space reopened in January 2016.

Provide physical and digital collections that are responsive to customer demands and community needs

OPL is a coalition member of Canadian Public Libraries for Fair Ebook Pricing alongside the Toronto Public Library and Canadian Urban Library Council, other libraries, and library organizations. Despite booming borrowing rates and high demand for eBooks, public libraries face challenges in ensuring universal access to this content. OPL has been active in raising awareness of high and restrictive eBook prices charged by multinational publishers.

• In June, OPL helped launch the coalition website fairpricingforlibraries.ca and participated in a coordinated social media campaign that brought attention to the issue among library customers, supporters, industry watchers, and some government representatives.
• In November, Ottawa City Council approved a motion in support of the OPL’s advocacy efforts regarding eBook pricing for libraries.
• That same month, on behalf of Ottawa City Council, the Mayor sent a letter to the federal ministers of Canadian Heritage, and of Science, Innovation and Economic Development requesting an examination of restrictive practices and higher pricing for libraries in the publishing industry for these materials.
• In December, a major publisher Penguin Random House announced reduced and more flexible eBook prices for libraries.

The advocacy around eBook pricing continues, as public libraries are key players in the publishing industry, both as major purchasers of books and eBooks, and promoters of reading and literacy.

Enhance the customer experience by leveraging best practices and technology

OPL continues to implement radio frequency identification (RFID), the new standard for urban libraries around the world. Implementing RFID improves service and increases customer satisfaction by allowing people to check out multiple items at a time, and spend less time in line. Returned items are processed immediately, allowing materials to circulate more quickly among locations. RFID enables employees to focus on providing more personalized service in the branch. Eleven branches were converted in 2015:  Constance Bay, Elmvale Acres, Fitzroy Harbour, Metcalfe, Munster, North Gower, Orléans, Osgoode, Richmond, Ruth E. Dickinson, and Vernon. Eleven branches remain to be converted, which are all slated to be completed by mid 2017.

In September 2015, the OPL Board approved the Alternative Service Delivery (ASD) Framework 2016-2020, which informs and guides OPL services in this area. An Ad-Hoc Board Committee was formed to work with employees to conduct consultations about existing and proposed Bookmobile locations. Recommended changes to Bookmobile stops, in alignment with the framework, will be brought to the OPL Board in 2016.

SPACES for community, collections and creation

Develop an inclusive, dynamic Central Library, enabling creation and learning

The Central Library Development Project made great strides in 2015. Very successful public engagement sessions and public opinion surveys were held throughout the year, where participants were asked to provide their thoughts on the spaces and services of the future building as well as their current use of the Main branch.

Both the OPL Board and Ottawa City Council approved Central Library Development as a strategic initiative for their respective terms (2015-2018).

In the fall, a Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) was issued, as the OPL searched for potential partners in this city-building initiative.  A potential partnership with Library and Archives Canada (LAC) was announced in early January 2016.

There is still much to come on this file, and OPL is very excited about the next steps on this important city-building initiative.

Visit OttawaCentralLibrary.ca for more detailed information.

Sustain collaborative and flexible physical spaces across the Library system

The newly renovated Constance and Buckham’s Bay Community Centre in September saw the Constance Bay branch expand to almost twice its original size. Key features of the improved branch include more public computers, improved materials processing, more windows to increase natural light, and better programming space that is shared with the community centre. Since reopening, visits to the branch have increased by more than 25% and there has been a rise in the number of requests for information, indicating greater use of the branch following the improvements. Thank you to the community for their fundraising efforts that contributed more than $300K to this revitalized centre.

With significant growth in the Riverside South area over the last decade, OPL recognizes the need for a branch in this community.  Working with the City of Ottawa, OPL began exploring the possibility of a branch, including identifying possible funding sources through the forecasted capital budget.  In 2016, staff will work to secure a location, as well as funding for 2017 and beyond.

Planning for renovations to the Rosemount branch continued in 2015.  The most significant work centered around the Expansion Feasibility Study, which determined that there is limited opportunity to expand the Rosemount branch at its current location.  OPL continues to examine options for the Rosemount branch, with the aim to celebrate the renovation as the branch reaches a 100-year milestone in 2018.

Our Beaverbrook branch was recognized for architectural excellence by the Ontario Library Association with the 2015 OLA Library Building Award for Library Architectural and Design Transformation. Moriyama & Teshima Architects designed the expanded and renovated facility  ̶  the first of its kind for OPL  ̶  which reopened in 2014. Beaverbrook branch was one of four public libraries in Ontario to be distinguished by the award which is given out only every three years. The branch stood out of 15 entries as an exceptional multi-functional library building purpose-built to serve the needs of their communities and organizations.

Design virtual spaces for creation and sharing

OPL customers shared, discussed, and commented on a variety of topics - from book reviews to technology tips to thoughts on library events and programs - through OPL blog posts and social media channels. In 2015, OPL connected with thousands of Library customers and supporters, on Twitter and Facebook. Our virtual spaces allow customers to connect directly with OPL, and receive a quick reply to any question, concern, or comment they might have about our services, to request their next recommended read, or find specialized resources. Customers joined in conversations about the latest award-winning books, community events, and makerspace trends through a variety of blog posts, all accessible via OPL’s robust and popular website.

SUCCESS through learning, literacy and innovation

Strengthen and promote the Library's reach and value

October is Library Month and in 2015 OPL showcased the wide range of services and items that are available to customers, and promoted the value of the Library overall. Using social media, OPL highlighted, each day, one of the many remarkable or lesser-known offerings. The aim was to raise awareness of OPL services so that everyone in Ottawa could take full advantage of their local pubilc library. In addition, OPL asked customers from various branches across the city to express what the Library means to them. Participants in the testimonial video range from toddlers to seniors; all had a keen interest in the Library, and were enthusiastic about how it has enhanced their lives.

OPL developed a four-year HR Strategic Plan, which consists of reviewing and enhancing leadership in the organization. OPL developed a staff succession plan to flag key positions, identify potential successors, and create and implement appropriate development plans. The objective is to ensure job readiness and maintain business continuity in the short and medium terms, and to strengthen the organization for the future.

In response to events in 2014, OPL set about reviewing and updating its emergency procedures. Planning ensures that the OPL is equipped to respond to, and mitigate, emergencies in such a way as to have little or no impact on services.  

Foster community partnerships

OPL works closely with City partners such as Community and Social Services, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, and Ottawa Public Health. We contribute to the City’s Municipal Immigration Strategy as well as the Older Adult Plan, and OPL participates in various working groups to help ensure services are inclusive and responsive to the needs of Ottawa’s diverse communities.

Additionally, OPL helps to foster partnerships in the community.  In 2015, OPL worked with local literacy and settlement partners, as well as with community-based organizations such as Community Health Centres, Ontario Early Years Centres, and Community Resource Centres.  We cultivate partnerships with dozens of groups in cultural, artistic, heritage, health, ecological, educational, and other sectors to leverage and enhance community connections and ensure a wide range of dynamic, quality programs.

Here are a few examples of how OPL is helping to foster community partnerships:

• Seniors Without Walls is a partnership with the Good Companions Seniors’ Centre. The OPL offers programs, by phone, to seniors aged 55 and older, and to adults with physical disabilities, expanding the library’s reach and value to people who find it hard to access branches in person. OPL presentations delivered via call-in telephone conferences included book chats, author presentations, genealogy workshops, and initiation seminars on using audiobooks and other technology-assisted resources.
• The Library is at the heart of the community in Vanier where OPL has cultivated several partnerships to serve local needs and interests. The Club Optimiste de Vanier and A.P.E. Horizon Jeunesse were key partners for the delivery of children’s programs. Vanier Community Services Association helped to provide job search workshops, and the Centre Pauline-Charron helped provide monthly workshops on accessing OPL collections on e-devices. In addition, the Vanier branch partnered with the Vanier Muséoparc to hold the annual Sugar Festival, which included a book sale (organized by Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association) to raise funds for the branch.
• The Kanata Chinese Seniors Support Centre (KCSSC) partnered with OPL’s Beaverbrook branch to obtain funding to provide professional computer skills training in Mandarin. The OPL provided in-kind support through meeting space, use of Chromebooks, and technical assistance. Over the course of the year, KCSSC members shared their music and art and demonstrated their support of library programs and services on numerous occasions, including a large scale and very successful Chinese New Year’s event. This partnership has created, and continues to offer, opportunities for learning and discovery for Chinese seniors in the Kanata area as well as for the entire community.
• As part of the 2015 Teen Exam Cram program, OPL offered high school students a chance to interact with therapy dogs to de-stress while studying for exams. OPL partnered with a local organization, Ottawa Therapy Dogs, who provided dogs and handlers to teens using the library during exam time. In addition, OPL employees welcomed students and handed out small surprises including post it notes, pens, and treats. Teen Exam Cram exemplifies how the OPL aims to be a welcoming place for teens and strives to build positive relationships with teen customers.
• OPL participated in MakerFaire in October, an all-ages gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students, and commercial exhibitors, organized by Ottawa collective Artengine. With the support of a grant from the U.S. Department of State via the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, OPL hosted Sue Considine, a prominent U.S.-based expert on maker programming, and offered an interactive building program by STEAM Maker San Diego. OPL’s own makerspace, known as Imagine Space, has grown to be a hub for makers and innovators in the area and was highlighted at this event.

Align Library services in support of customer needs

The OPL plays an important role in empowering individuals and helping communities meet challenges and succeed. An OPL working group on community development is focused on equipping each branch to serve as a local hub, and to play a vibrant role in bringing people together and connecting them to resources and services they want and need. A toolkit has been created based on best practices in other public libraries, which will guide OPL in engaging groups and individuals in order to align services to local needs.

OPL’s Bookmobiles provide services and programs to the 20 per cent of Ottawa’s population that falls outside of the catchment area of the OPL’s 33 physical branches. In June 2015, OPL launched its mini Bookmobile, which features an exciting new collection and improves OPL’s ability to bring services and programs to customers.  The special collection includes:

• a MakerBot mini (3D printer)
• Chromebooks (laptops)
• Makey Makeys (micro-controllers)
• LED throwies (glow-dots)
• Public WiFi
• books, audio books, magazines, DVDs, and more!