By the first week of December, most municipal councils have been sworn in and will be poised to begin the task of appointing people to the various local boards and committees with terms tied to council’s term. This, of course, includes library boards. Board Appointments Ideally, councillors understand the importance of making board appointments as […]
With new municipal councils across Ontario beginning four-year terms in December, appointments to library boards will soon follow. On the new Board Transition webpage, you’ll find information about Board Appointments, Board Succession, and Board Orientation. We’ve also included a webinar on board transitions and some FAQs that are relevant to senior leadership teams and current board […]
The Government of Canada’s Connecting Families initiative is investing $13.2 million over five years, from fall 2018 to March 2022, to help bridge the digital divide for Canadian families who may struggle to afford access to home Internet. A secure online portal will enable Canadian families who receive an eligibility letter to access high speed […]
Have you heard the buzz about littleBits? LittleBits are little colour coded magnetic blocks that make electronics easy to build. After Elgin County Library purchased our first set in 2016, we knew we wanted more. Our staff marveled at the simplicity of littleBits and it’s the simplicity of the kit that attract children to tinker […]
At the start of 2018, the Kingston Frontenac Public Library made a conscious decision to increase interlibrary loan (we refer to it as ILLO) usage. Over the past 10 months we’ve seen our stats jump in comparison to previous years’ figures. Items we borrow from other library systems around Ontario and the rest of Canada […]
Together We Read Ontario is now live ! From Oct. 15-29, our shared OverDrive site will have unlimited access to The Lightkeeper’s Daughters by Jean E. Pendziwol at no extra cost. We’re joined by a number of other Ontario OverDrive libraries and systems,making this a truly province-wide event: Sudbury LOTG consortium Ottawa Burlington Mississauga Ajax […]
We’ve added a new Professional Resource page on LearnHQ on mobile Wifi hotspots – it’s got some basic tech information, examples of library programs and policies, and more. It’s amazing what these devices can do to bridge the digital divide, especially for those patrons who do not have internet access at home. Some libraries have asked […]
While travelling to a family wedding in Powell River this past weekend, I was able to spend a night in Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast with my cousin, Sherryl and her husband Mike. Sherryl is the Program and Outreach Coordinator at the Sechelt Public Library. I never miss a chance to check out libraries wherever […]
Have you had a chance to play with littleBits yet? It’s a system of electronic building blocks that snap together to “turn ideas into inventions”. (For more on how it all works, here’s a short TED talk on littleBits). Here’s what makes them ideal for both staff and patrons exploring STEM and STEAM: Magnetic – The bits […]
SOLS is pleased to announce that we have selected a title for Together We Read Ontario! The selected title is a finalist for the Northern Lit Awards as chosen by Ontario Library Service-North in partnership with Northern Ontario Public Libraries. From Oct. 15-29, the SOLS shared OverDrive collection and all participating Ontario public libraries will […]