Ottawa Public Library and Budget 2008

The Ottawa Public Library has made a 2008 Budget Info Kit available on its website.

The purpose of this Ottawa Public Library 2008 budget information kit is to provide background information on the Library’s 2008 operating and capital budget as contained in the City Budget Book.

Other documents available from the OPL website:

• Ottawa Public Library Board Approved 2008 Operating Budget
• 2008 Operating Budget – Reduction Scenarios
• Ottawa Public Library: Branches ranked by cost per use

The City of Ottawa's 2008 Draft Budget can be viewed online or at any OPL branch.

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The Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association has launched SOS Ottawa Public Library - Save Our Services campaign to prevent branch closures, reduced hours, and cuts to the collection.

Please help protect Ottawa Public Library services and prevent branch closures, reduced hours, and cuts to the collections.

Ottawa library services are well used and well loved. Last year the Ottawa Public Library had almost 5 million visits to its 33 branches. However, funding has not increased to keep pace with the growth of our communities. This has left our libraries stretched to the maximum. And now the city proposes to cut the library budget by 10%.

These cuts would force the library to close 1 in 3 community branches, close remaining branches one day a week, and fire over 60 employees. Branches slated for closure if the budget is cut include Centennial, Fitzroy Harbour, Munster Hamlet, Osgoode, North Gower, Blackburn Hamlet, Elmvale Acres, Vanier, Rosemount, and Vernon. See news release.

Please tell City Council not to cut library services. There are many easy ways you can help save our services!

• Pick-up a postcard from the library checkout desk or a Friends bookstore. Mark it “SOS Ottawa Public Library – NO CUTS” and sign it with your name and address. Then mail it to Councillor Jan Harder at 110 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1J1.

• Send Councillor Harder a letter at the same address listed above. See sample letter.

• Email Councillor Harder at Jan.Harder@ottawa.ca with “SOS Ottawa Public Library – NO CUTS” in the subject line and tell her that library branches are at the heart of our community and you do not want them cut. See sample email message.

• Attend the City Council meeting on December 3 at 1:30 p.m. and wear an SOS Libraries t-shirt. FOPLA volunteers will be handing out shirts at the meeting.

• Make a presentation at the December 3 Council Meeting and tell Councillors that our library services are world-class, cost-efficient and essential. You can arrange to make a presentation by calling 613-580-2424 ext 28625 and use our sample talking points to help you prepare.

• Print this sheet and post it at your workplace, community center, grocery store bulletin board or local bookstore.

• Tell your family, friends, and colleagues and ask them to speak up on behalf of the library. Send them the link to this page on the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association website.

Well-funded libraries build strong communities, so please help save our services!
Join the growing group of concerned residents advocating for our library.
See letters from the community

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A "Save the Ottawa Public Library" Facebook group has been created. Join today!

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A reminder about this week's CASLIS event:

The Ottawa Public Library at Year 101: What's Next?

Date: Thursday November 22, 2007
Time: 5:30 pm
Where: Ottawa Public Library (120 Metcalfe), Auditorium

CASLIS Ottawa invites you to an evening with Ottawa Public Library Board Chair Jan Harder and City Librarian Barbara Clubb.

A year after celebrating its centenary, it's unclear what the future holds for the Ottawa Public Library (OPL).

The Board has just passed its ambitious 2008-2011 Strategic Plan setting exciting directions for the Canada's largest bilingual library system and the second largest system in Ontario.

Plans are underway to build a new central library incorporating the municipal archives.

But at the same time OPL is being asked to present scenarios which would reduce its budget by $4 million in service reductions and efficiencies. That's more than 12% of the budget. Could a third of library branches be closed to help City Council bring in a 0% tax increase?

Come and find out what's next at the Ottawa Public Library.

For more information about this event, please contact CASLIS Ottawa at info@caslisottawa.on.ca.