Challenges are fun and inspiring! Join OPL’s annual adult summer reading challenge, Stories of Summer. As Sarah, Program Developer puts it “It’s all about giving adults a fun, low-pressure way to reconnect with reading and discover something new.”
Find inspiration in the Stories of Summer bookmark, available at your branch or on the Bookmobile. Use the prompts to explore new genres, revisit old favourites, or discover your next great summer read. Wherever you’ll be enjoying your book at home, at the library, in the park, or at the beach, browse our catalogue to find books in your favorite format and language.
- Vivid Vignettes: Sensory Snapshots of Your Ongoing Life Story with Jen Lynn Bailey | Orléans branch - Thursday July 23, at 6:30pm
- Tarot & Storytelling with Clover Callahan | Carp branch - Wednesday August 5, at 6 pm
- Tarot & Storytelling with Clover Callahan | Cumberland branch - Saturday August 8, at 2 pm
- Poetry Reading and Writing with JustJamaal ThePoet | Rosemount branch - Monday August 10, at 10:30am
- Tarot & Storytelling with Clover Callahan | Metcalfe village branch - Thursday August 13, at 6 pm
- Tarot & Storytelling | Main branch - Wednesday August 19, at 2 pm
Connect with curiosity, challenge yourself — and why not a friend too — and enter the draw for a chance to win exciting prizes.
Challenge details
From July 13 to August 24, borrow a book that corresponds to one of these prompts:
- A book published in 2026
- A recipe from a cookbook
- Reading outside
- A mythology retelling
- An audiobook or an eBook
- A non-fiction book
- A book by a local author
- A poem, or
- Attend a library program
Earn an entry ballot for a chance to win one of the following prizes:
A gift certificate for cooking classes for two at C'est bon Ottawa and cookbook Gather, Savor, Share.
A set of two full passes to CityFolk Festival
A set of two three-day Deluxe tickets to Ottawa ComicCon 2026
Home Services clients that are receiving a shipment in July or August will be automatically entered into a separate draw to win either a single seasonal box from Spruce Box or digital audiobook credits from Libro.fm.
Winners will be contacted by phone and/or email using the contact information on their OPL account.