On Wednesday, December 11, City Council approved the Ottawa Public Library (OPL) 2025 budget of $64.895M which includes funding for operating and capital activities. The 2025 Library budget enables OPL to provide and expand the services the community relies on for learning, leisure, information, and connection.
Compared to 2024, this is an increase of $2.715M, which represents a property tax increase of approximately $2.55 for the average residential household. The budget includes investments into Board priorities for 2025 that will ensure OPL has the capacity and resources to meet the needs of the community.
With the Central branch at Ādisōke opening in 2026, the single largest investment in the 2025 budget is for the operational requirements. With budget approval, OPL will seek to hire more than 50 new individuals into the organization throughout 2025.
2025 will also see continued movement on the library experience as well as funding to grow services in the Barrhaven community with a new branch and to develop a new brand strategy.
After undertaking a review of operations, $1.6M were identified as internal efficiencies and will be reinvested in the Library. Some of those funds will go towards library hours for rural communities and a new community development approach in priority neighbourhoods.