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Ontario Public Library Week Runs October 16-22, 2006
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HAMILTON, ON, Oct. 16 /CNW/ - Innovative and distinctive projects are
making our libraries a great place to visit, Minister of Culture Caroline Di
Cocco said today at the launch of Ontario Public Library Week.
"This year's theme of Libraries: the world at your fingertips honours the
role of libraries as centres for the advancement of literacy, learning and
knowledge in our communities," said Di Cocco. "Libraries are hubs of our
communities and thanks to new technologies they are windows to the world and
places to go to feed our appetite for knowledge."
Eleven library projects were named as finalists for the 2006 Public
Library Service Awards. The Ontario government created the Public Library
Service Awards in 1985 to identify, promote and celebrate public library
service ideals. There are two types of awards:
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- The Minister's Award for Innovation, which recognizes new ideas in
public library service.
- The Angus Mowat Award of Excellence, which recognizes excellence in
public library service.
The shortlist candidates for this year's Minister's Award for Innovation
are:
- Clearview Public Library - for K.I.D.S.@Home, a program designed
to help youth, 10 to 14 years old, "stay safe" in their homes.
- Schreiber Public Library - for You're on the right track, an
historical booklet, community map and database illustrating the
evolution of a small northern town.
- Ramara Public Library - for their website Our Ramara at
www.ourramara.com, which provides information about Ramara to
encourage community and economic development.
- Orillia Public Library - for Lifescapes, a program that asks
participants to write their memoirs and share photographs for an
anthology.
- Toronto Public Library - for two publications, Research At My Brain
and The Research Virtuoso, designed to help students and researchers
complete research projects using library resources and the internet.
- Waterloo Public Library - for Get Blogging, an initiative to share
library news and events with customers, educate them, answer
questions about new technologies, and give them another way of
communicating directly with the library.
- Windsor Public Library - for Windsor Mosaic Website Project, a
52-week Job Creation Partnerships project that provided hands-on work
experience to lead to long term employment.
The shortlist candidates for this year's Angus Mowat Award of Excellence
are:
- Fort Frances Public Library - for iLive - iRead - iPod, a summer
reading program for students in grades 7 to 12 encouraging them to
read six books in the summer months, with a chance to win an iPOD
Nano.
- Mnjikaning First Nation Public Library - for the celebration of First
Nations Public Library Week 2006 that promoted aboriginal authors and
stories for adults and children, its culture and people.
- Hamilton Public Library - for its virtual library branch, that
successfully integrates resources and e-library service to connect
people, information and technology.
- Port Hope Public Library - for its Library.Card.Cool@Port Hope
Public Library that promotes the library by using promotional "pizza
boxes" and encourages children to get and use a library card.
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The winners of the 2006 Public Library Service Awards will be announced
at the Ontario Library Association's annual Super Conference in February 2007.
"Each day, libraries from across the province offer innovative programs,
services, collections and partnerships to meet the needs of their
communities," said Ken Roberts, CEO of Hamilton Public Library. "We make it
easy and convenient for people to connect with information, technology and
opportunities to advance their personal goals and interests. Public libraries
deliver a world of possibilities to each person we serve. "
The Ontario government invests more than $28.4 million annually in
Ontario's public and First Nations libraries, to ensure that all Ontarians
have access to library programs and services. This year the government
invested an additional $15 million to help libraries promote literacy, provide
access to digital resources and improve services in northern and First Nations
libraries.
"The government of Ontario, under the leadership of Premier Dalton
McGuinty, honours the dedication of library staff and the innovative programs
they develop to make our libraries a great place to visit," said Di Cocco. "I
encourage everyone to enjoy and celebrate the many events, programs and
services at their local public libraries during Ontario Public Library Week."
In 2004, 66 million people visited Ontario's public libraries,
circulating more than 100 million items. More than 2.2 million Ontarians
participated in library programs.
Disponible en français
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www.culture.gov.on.ca
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For further information: Mark Thompson, Minister's Office, (416) 325-4071; Guy Lepage, Communications Branch, (416) 314-3497
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