Video Message for 2015 Annual Report from Tim Tierney, Chair of the Ottawa Public Library Board and Ottawa City Councillor for Beacon Hill-Cyrville & Danielle McDonald, Chief Executive Officer of the Ottawa Public Library
Chair: Hello. I’m Tim Tierney, Chair of the Ottawa Public Library Board and Ottawa City Councillor for Beacon Hill-Cyrville.
CEO: And I’m Danielle McDonald, Chief Executive Officer of the Ottawa Public Library. It has been a busy and important year for the Library.
Chair: In January 2015, a new Board was appointed – one that is smaller than in the past. It’s been an active and effective Board, with solid combined experience and a balance of new and familiar faces. In the last 12 months, the Board has been able to focus on key initiatives to ensure excellent governance of Ottawa’s Library.
CEO: Chair Tierney and I are excited to be moving forward on a landmark file that has been greatly discussed over the years: a Central Library. In 2015, the Development of an Ottawa Central Library was approved as an official project by our Board, and by Ottawa City Council.
Chair: We see the Ottawa Central Library as an innovative, iconic and significant civic building. We’ll combine great architecture with an excellent location, and make it a place where innovative spaces and programs draw residents from across Ottawa.
CEO: We reached out for public input on the Central Library project in 2015 and will continue to make sure Ottawans can help shape the new facility.
Three key decisions were made in 2015:
- First, we will proceed with a new build facility.
- Secondly, the building will be approximately 132,000 gross square feet.
- And thirdly, the Central Library will be located within the geographic boundaries of Ottawa’s Central Area, as defined by the Official Plan.
Chair These are exciting times for our city; but we have a long way to go before we get shovels in the ground in 2018. We will be seeking public input, and we expect large numbers of Ottawans to come out and participate in that process.
CEO: OPL has 33 branches providing services across nearly 3,000 square kilometres. In 2015, we converted and improved 11 of our branches to RFID technology. One well-deserved facelift was the Constance Bay branch, which expanded to almost twice its original size, and is now equipped with accessible shelving, more public computers, and lots of natural light.
Chair Also in 2015, OPL joined Canadian Public Libraries for Fair Ebook Pricing along with the Toronto Public Library and the Canadian Urban Libraries Council to raise awareness of high eBook prices charged by multinational publishers.
CEO: At the OPL, we inspire learning, spark curiosity, and connect people. We have a remarkable library system made possible by committed and capable employees. We will continue to provide residents of Ottawa with the services, programs, and resources to help individuals and communities succeed.
Chair: This is a crucial and exciting time for public libraries, and we look forward to working with the many passionate Ottawa Library supporters in the years to come.
2015 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
2015 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
Ottawa Public Library www.BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca 613-580-2940 InfoService@BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca