Ontario Investing in Public Libraries
January 26, 2016
Province Supporting 10 Projects to Help Libraries Meet Changing Needs
From Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport:
Ontario is investing $1.6 million to support 10 projects in public libraries across the province that will improve services for Ontarians.
Michael Coteau, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, made the announcement today at the Milton Public Library, which is receiving a grant of $169,000 over two years. The library will partner with the Town of Milton, Conservation Halton and Halton Culture Services to create a virtual hub that uses gaming and social media applications to engage the public and promote programs and services.
The investments are part of the Ontario Libraries Capacity Fund, a $10 million program to help public libraries support strong, vibrant communities and better meet the changing needs of Ontarians. The fund supports new projects that can be adapted to suit the needs of other communities and have the potential for a positive impact on public libraries across the province and the people they serve.
Ontario Libraries Capacity Fund: Research & Innovation 2015-16
| Organization | Funding Amount | Project Title | Project Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lambton County Public Library | $120,000.00 | Lambton County Library ideaLAB | This project establishes two technology/digital programming labs: One in Sarnia (fixed) and one for rural areas (mobile). Programming will include digital education, asset mapping, community engagement and connectivity. The ideaLAB innovation will be conceived, designed and shared to ensure applicability in rural library/rural hub settings across the province. The project has many partners at the local and provincial levels. |
| Milton Public Library | $169,000.00 | No Walls | This project creates a virtual community hub that complements physical space shared by the public library and the Town of Milton. The virtual portion of the project will engage people through the use of Gaming and Social Media applications - each time patrons participate in a program or access a service offered by one of the partners, their interactions will result in advancement in the featured game of the virtual community hub. Partners for the project include Conservation Halton and Halton Culture Services. |
| Ontario Library Service-North | $113,000.00 | Public Libraries Impact in Rural Northern Ontario | This project evaluates the impact of rural Northern Ontario public libraries by measuring return on investment. It will result in a tool for northern libraries to obtain information that supports: strengthening and enhancing the role of public libraries as community hubs; encouraging the development of new ways to engage with Ontarians; and identifying and preparing leadership candidates. A group of northern public libraries and First Nation public libraries will partner with the Ontario Library Service-North to undertake the project. |
| Ottawa Public Library | $186,890.00 | à la carte project | This project introduces food literacy into library programming and positions the library as a recognized community resource and partner for accessible food related information and programming. The project has four complementary components: outreach, programming, the creation of a mobile app and a community garden. Partners for the project include Ottawa Public Health, JustFood Ottawa, and the Ottawa Writer’s Festival. |
| Pickering Public Library | $175,567.00 | Backpack Library Project | This project delivers physical access to the Internet along with a wide variety of Internet devices, such as mobile hotspots, to the community at multiple locations. Delivery will be by trained public library staff with a passion for technology and who will have a travelling digital classroom, internet hubs, and a makerspace in their backpacks. The library plans to enhance the IT skills of the community and have staff fully prepared to instruct and coach at the client’s level. The project targets approximately 15% of the community who are without internet access and are the most economically and socially vulnerable residents. |
| Simcoe County Library Co-operative | $194,795.00 | Simcoe County Libraries Immigrant Hub Project | This project involves the Library Co-operative, its member libraries and the Simcoe County Local Immigration Partnership and focuses on training and development in a rural setting. The project deliverables include signage and promotional materials to communicate the resources available in libraries for immigrants, training of selected staff as immigration specialists, a multilingual collection development strategy, and adaptable programming models. Designated Library Immigration Information Specialists will receive four days of intensive training. The project will be replicable and scalable to rural libraries throughout the province and across the country. |
| St. Thomas Public Library | $100,000.00 | Wellington Block Innovation Centre | This project sees St. Thomas Public Library partnering with the City of St. Thomas, and the Thames Valley District School Board to employ new technologies to drive community learning and growth in a high-needs neighbourhood. The project recognizes the importance of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) at an early age and that this can be a concern for families living in at-risk communities who lack access to appropriate resources. The project will develop programming in a makerspace facility, co-learning hub, and community creative space in a recently restored schoolhouse. |
| Toronto Public Library | $200,000.00 | Library Technology Services Toolkit | This project positions public libraries as strong advocates and community leaders for technology based services and support within their communities. A toolkit to help library systems evaluate technology based offerings and their impact on communities will be developed through a comprehensive research project. The library will work with an academic partner to research and work on the toolkit, a private partner to consult on its development, and other public libraries in Ontario. The project will see the library implement the toolkit across its branches, and offer it to other urban libraries, as well as rural and First Nation public libraries. |
| Wellington County Public Library | $157,751.00 | Rural Internet Lending Programme | This project addresses a gap in access to high-speed internet for student and adult patrons living in rural areas in Ontario. Using mobile hotspot devices, the library will build on an existing program of lending Chromebooks to students. The project focus will be to use this technology to provide Internet access to its patrons in rural areas where connectivity outside villages is problematic in terms of cost and availability. |
| Windsor Public Library | $200,000.00 | Library Hubs Meeting Community Needs | This project focuses on improving equity of access and service for high-needs populations. By creating a hub of service agencies, people who are experiencing homelessness or living in poverty who may not currently be library users will be provided with an introduction to library services and programs. Partnering with Essex County Library, Guelph Public Library, Access County Community Support Services, and the New Canadians Centre for Excellence, the project will result in a service delivery model for communities, both urban and rural, with visible and hidden homeless populations, and a diverse set of community partnerships. Creation of an electronic toolkit will assist other libraries to replicate the model. |
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