Video Message from the Chair and CEO
Tim: Hello. I’m Tim Tierney, Chair of the OPL Board of the Ottawa Public Library and Councillor for Beacon Hill–Cyrville.
Bonjour. Je suis Tim Tierney, président du Conseil d’administration de la Bibliothèque publique d’Ottawa.
I’m pleased and proud of how the OPL Board worked to guide the Library through a year of significant accomplishments in 2016.
As trustees, we kept the focus on what is most important for the public, so that residents of Ottawa can continue to enjoy the high standard of Library services that the OPL provides.
Danielle: Hello. I’m Danielle McDonald, Chief Executive Officer of the Ottawa Public Library. I am pleased at what the OPL achieved in 2016 as we work to continuously improve how we serve the public and what we offer.
Every day I see how OPL puts the customer first.
À chaque jour je vois que les employés de la BPO tiennent à cœur le service aux clients. Nous travaillons tous et toutes pour que la Bibliothèque publique d’Ottawa soit un lieu de connexion, d’apprentissage et de découverte.
2016 was a year of firsts for the Ottawa Public Library. We conducted our first-ever study to measure the economic impact of the OPL. And we were the first library to release the raw data related to the study.
The study showed a remarkable 417% return on investment. Simply put, for every dollar invested in the OPL, residents receive more than five dollars in benefits.
But our research doesn’t stop there. In 2017, we are studying the social impact of OPL services, with results to be released in 2018.
It’s not new for us to reach out to look at what we could do to improve OPL service - though we are renewing ways to gauge customer use and satisfaction. In 2016, we conducted a system-wide Customer Satisfaction Survey in branches and online.
It’s clear that OPL customers cherish their library and are generally very satisfied. We will use this valuable feedback to make OPL even better.
En 2016, nous avons créé un nouveau poste entièrement consacré au rehaussement et à l’expansion des programmes en français.
Also, thanks to funding from the Province of Ontario, we launched an innovative Food Literacy Program that has the potential to positively affect our community on many levels.
OPL was awarded for leadership in environmental stewardship for our high-performing energy-efficient green-building: Beaverbook branch.
Also in 2016, the BiblioBike, a mobile library on two wheels rolled out on the power of an employee’s passion for outreach to bring the Library to outdoor events around Ottawa.
And OPL customers borrowed more than 1 million eBooks for the first time, in 2016.
We also enhanced our online offerings in 2016 by refining our online database subscriptions and expanding our digital learning collection.
With 33 branches across Ottawa, OPL underpins beneficial cultural, educational and community developments.
Tim: Like other libraries, OPL is evolving in a world of accelerated change.
My fellow trustees and I are committed to ensuring OPL is well equipped to support our citizens in navigating this new economy, and building successful communities.
The OPL Board approved a framework that calls for renovations and growth over the next few years. These are important investments to ensure that OPL branches thrive, to serve the public sustainably.
To pick up on Danielle’s theme of firsts, I also want to note the wonderful customer appreciation event during Library Month in October.
Trustees and OPL employees greeted customers at transit hubs, giving out new OPL book bags. Folks praised the OPL and we heard more than a few stories about how the Library has changed their lives.
In 2016 we reached a milestone in the Central Library development project. That is itself a first, since never before have we moved this far forward towards creating a much-needed new Central Library.
We held extensive public consultations and listened to residents on spaces and uses, and on what is important about location.
An expert panel evaluated possible sites over the summer and fall. In December OPL staff made its recommendations public and then sought further public opinion.
Following that diligent process, the OPL Board and City Council approved a once-in-a-generation city-building decision.
The Ottawa Central Library will be built at 557 Wellington Street and will serve as a civic and a national landmark.
Danielle: The new Central Library will strengthen our system of branches across the City. It will be a centralized hub with wide views and public spaces to mirror the breadth of knowledge inside. The benefits of the OPL will reach more people than ever, who will experience the Library like never before.
Tim: More than ever, I’m humbled and impressed at the multifaceted and overwhelming positive role that OPL plays in our City.
2016 was a brilliant chapter in the ongoing success story of the Ottawa Public Library. I have no doubt that the best is yet to come.
2016 OPL Board Members
Councillor Tim Tierney, Chair
André Bergeron, Vice Chair
Steven Begg
Kathy Fisher
Allan Higdon
Councillor Catherine McKenney
Councillor Scott Moffatt
Pamela Sweet
Councillor Marianne Wilkinson
2016 Senior Management
Danielle McDonald,
Chief Executive Officer
Monique E. Désormeaux,
Deputy Chief Executive Officer
Monique Brûlé,
Division Manager, Programs and Services
Elaine Condos,
Division Manager, Central Library Project
Catherine Seaman,
Division Manager, Branch Operations
Anna Basile,
Manager, Planning and OPL Board Support
Ottawa Public Library
www.BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca
613-580-2940
InfoService@BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca