2023 Report to the Community

Cardholder trends  

New cardholder registrations have demonstrated a strong recovery, with an increase of 40% in the last quarter of 2023 compared to pre-pandemic levels. Glen Abbey Branch led the way with the highest number of new registrations, accounting for 29% of the total for 2023. Close behind was Iroquois Ridge Branch and Central Branch, with 21% and 18%, respectively. Additionally, the total number of active cardholders surpassed pre-pandemic levels by 6%, a testament to our successful efforts in retaining our valued customers. 

Circulation trends 

Our overall circulation levels have also seen a significant boost, with digital circulation showing the greatest increase. This surge in digital borrowing was driven largely by the popularity of PressReader and CloudLibrary. We are proud to report that almost all branches have exceeded their physical circulation figures from the previous year. Notably, the two largest branches, Glen Abbey and Iroquois Ridge, managed 59% of the total circulation across our library system, reflecting their pivotal role in serving our community.  

• * Digital collections circulation: 2,747,592
• * Physical collections circulation: 1,451,271  
• * Visits to OPL.ca website: 763,301 
• * Catalogue searches on OPL.ca website: 1,213,050 
• * Visits to Halton Community Services Directory at hipinfo.ca: 873,220 

OPL is located on Indigenous lands and we acknowledge that we are gathering on traditional territory that has been inhabited by the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation for thousands of years before us. We are grateful for the opportunity to meet here, and because "we are all treaty people."   

Public libraries in Canada are dedicated to fostering community connections through our commitment and ongoing efforts towards Truth and Reconciliation.  At OPL, we strive to amplify Indigenous voices and celebrate the many different cultures and traditions.  Genuine and lasting change requires us all to commit to learning the truths, doing the work, and holding ourselves accountable. The work of Truth and Reconciliation must be embraced daily to foster meaningful and lasting change.  

OPL hosts Oakville’s Treaty Day and Celebration Feast  

In 2022, OPL continued our reconciliation commitment by joining the Debwewin: The Oakville Truth Project (also referred to as Debwewin Oakville), and the Acts of Allyship campaign. On February 28, 2023, the campaign was commemorated with a Treaty Day celebration hosted at Central Branch and attended by over 70 people. The event was the official launch of the “Friendship, Peace and Respect for all Future Generations” report. Oakville’s Treaties and Indigenous history are not well known or readily available. This report seeks to remedy this knowledge gap by exploring the Treaties between the Mississaugas of the Credit (MCFN) and the Crown in what is now Oakville. The report demonstrates how historical records show that the Mississaugas never surrendered their land, but it was instead given in trust to the Crown. The Mississaugas went to great lengths to protect both the land and waters in their traditional territory.    

On March 4, all members of Gimaa’s (former Chief) Ally Leadership Council (including Tara Wong, OPL’s CEO) were invited to join the first annual Celebration of Treaty Allyship, a community-to-community celebration of arts, culture and cuisine. Council members attending were asked to bring a gift to thank and acknowledge the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nations for the Treaties that allow us all to share, live and work on treaty lands. OPL’s gift was a selection of adult and children’s books written by local Oakville authors and was appropriately presented with ribbons in the 4 colours of the medicine wheel.  

Elevating voices and raising awareness  

OPL continued to commemorate annual days of significance and initiatives throughout 2023, such as the Indigenous History Month (June), National Day of Truth and Reconciliation (September), The REDress Project (October), and Treaties Recognition Week (November).  

Additional programs and events were offered to the community to celebrate Indigenous cultures and voices.    

• * OPL hosted Debwewin Oakville’s first Bannock Bake-Off Challenge. Held on National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21, this inaugural event brought together hundreds of Oakville residents to participate and watch the bake-off challenge. Teams created their own twist on the classic Indigenous bread for a panel of judges which included OPL's CEO, Tara Wong. This event was made possible in part by the Celebrating Canadian Heritage Grant awarded to OPL. View the event recap here.  

• * OPL welcomed Patty Krawec, an Anishinaabe/Ukrainian writer and speaker. Belonging to Lac Seul First Nation in Treaty 3 territory, OPL host an evening with Krawec where she explored the topic of “The Decolonization Myth.” She discussed understanding the role of settler colonialism in how organizations function and the impacts on Indigenous people as a necessary first step to making the kind of change that matters. 

• * OPL partnered with Toronto Rock Lacrosse and Toronto Rock Athletic Centre (TRAC), for loanable lacrosse kits and a Family Storytime. Lacrosse is known as the “medicine game” within Indigenous cultures. During National Indigenous History Month, Toronto Rock Lacross Team collaborated with OPL for a special family Storytime to help promote physical literacy encouraging barrier-free access movement and exploration. Learn more about the history of lacrosse.   

• * OPL offers program showcasing the Moccasin Identifier Project. Designed to celebrate Indigenous heritage and culture, attendees created a visual reminder to recognize and honour the past. The Moccasin Identifier Project utilizes drawings of historical moccasins of the Anishanaabe, Huron-Wendat, Seneca and Cree people. Learn more about the Moccasin Identifier Project here. 

• * OPL received a Community Services Recovery Fund Grant. This grant is being used towards the planning of an “Elder in Residence” program. Stay tuned for more details in 2024. 
   

Launch of Welcome Baby Kits in partnership with Halton Healthcare 

In May 2023, OPL launched Welcome Baby Kits, a unique initiative in partnership with Halton Healthcare. The partnership provided families of each baby born at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) with a kit filled with books, a gift voucher, and literacy and health resources including access to the hospital’s Patient andWBK_WBKPartners2023_2 Family Health Information Centre. The Welcome Baby Kits were designed to connect young families in Oakville with the building blocks to encourage both early childhood literacy and health literacy. In 2024, all newborn families eligible for an OPL library card can visit any branch to receive their own Welcome Baby Kit. 

Expanding the Library on the Go Book Bikes

To coincide with Bike Month in June 2023, OPL expanded its express services with the introduction of mobile book bikes to travel across Oakville. Each bike provided free programming and a mini-lending library for the community at a variety of events and locations throughout the summer, including the Town of Oakville’s Community Play Nights. This new service was an expansion of the Friendly Finds book bike introduced in 2022, where the library outfitted a book bike with free, gently loved materials for community members to enjoy at Bronte Waterfront Park, in partnership with the Bronte BIA.   

Supporting newcomers in Oakville with InfoPods 

Through the funding from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) grant, Halton Information Providers (HIP), of which OPL is the lead agency, successfully installed 10 Newcomer InfoPods throughout Halton. The software for the standalone pods was designed by HIP and allows new residents of Canada to easily access community information in 24 languages.  

Locations: 

• * Oakville Public Library: Glen Abbey Branch and Sixteen Mile Branch 
• * Iroquois Ridge Community Centre 
• * Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre 
• * Achēv's Newcomer Information Centre 
• * Burlington Public Library: New Street Branch 
• * Halton Hills Public Library (all branches) 
• * Milton Community Resource Centre (EarlyON Centres) 

Other notable highlights:  

• * New multilingual informational brochures. OPL adapted several key print materials about the library and our services in 6 new languages, to better serve and support the diverse demographics of the Oakville community.  

• ​* Relaunch of the Creation Zone at Iroquois Ridge Branch. With most of the services closed since the start of the pandemic, the library happily welcomed back services to the Creation Zone for customers frequenting the Iroquois Ridge Branch. Along with the one-on-one collaboration with a Creation Zone Specialist, customers could now take advantage of new equipment like the Cricut Maker, and a photo/film scanner.  

• * StoryWalks displays at local parks. Residents can experience OPL’s services at some of the most picturesque parks throughout Oakville with our StoryWalk initiative. With an updated story every season, the community is welcome to walk the trails at Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park, George Savage Park, and Tannery and Waterworks Parks to enjoy this unique storytelling firsthand. This is the third year OPL has provided StoryWalks in Oakville, bringing stories to life along our beautiful park trails. 

• * Expanded to virtual streaming author events. Post-pandemic, the library brought back author talks both in-person with the In Conversation With series, featuring Charlotte Gray, Peter Mansbridge and Anne Michaels, and virtually through a partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium. Customers had an opportunity to hear from the likes of Lidia Bastanich, Cassandra Clare, Joy Harjo, John Irving, Robert Jones Jr., Kate Quinn, John Stamos, Rick Steves, Ruth Ware, and dozens more. In the 5-month period we hosted 13 virtual author events, we had 601 registered attendees.  

I wanted to share a moment where our new Urdu OPL [brochures] welcomed a brand-new family to Oakville Public Library. They used a translation app to announce how happy they were to feel included. I used hipinfo.ca (newcomer page) in Urdu to give them information on ESL classes as well, so please know that these are working wonders! – OPL Staff Member, Sixteen Mile Branch 

Improving our service delivery to customers 

Seamless and personalized service are pillars of excellent customer experiences at OPL. In 2023, we listened to customers and enhanced our services by increasing the number of items a customer can borrow at one time, from 50 to 100, plus we raised the material renewals from two to five.  We also expanded our cardholder membership profile options to serve a broader demographic. These changes were made to provide greater flexibility for our customers and ensure more equitable access to our services. Another enhancement was transitioning to an in-house system to circulate materials between branches more efficiently, getting them into our customers' hands faster.  

In May, OPL officially expanded loanable public access to technology for customers by adding laptops to the existing static fleet of desktop computers for use in branches. The laptops provide library customers with the same functionality as the existing desktop computers, while offering more flexible use of branch space by allowing customers to sit where they feel comfortable.  

Launch of new collections 

OPL is committed to expanding our reach and extending our presence in the community by providing our customers with opportunities to experience our collections in new ways outside of traditional library spaces.  

Nature Kits 

OPL further expanded our "library of things" with the launch of a new Nature Kit collection at all seven branch locations. Each branch received two Nature Kits, one with a Forest & Foliage theme and the other, a Birds & Bugs theme. These kits were made possible thanks to the generous support of a longtime OPL customer and donor, Richard Birkett, as well as a grant from the Shell Canada Fueling Kindness initiative. The Nature Kits are available to borrow year-round and are intended for families with 4- to 10-year-olds. Each kit contains a variety of them-specific activities, including books, activity sheets, and exploration items (binoculars, magnifying glass, and compass). New themes will be added in the future. For families planning outdoor excursions over the summer, these nature kits go perfect with our free Conservation Halton and Provincial Park Passes. 

Ukrainian language materials 

The new collection, featuring a wide range of materials for both adults and children, has been introduced at Central Branch and Glen Abbey Branch. OPL is proud to house an extensive multilingual collection, offering materials in over 15 languages.  

Glen Abbey Branch Art Project: Creating a “Happy Place”  

The search began in 2022 for “expressions of interest” to create a permanent indoor public artwork for the children’s and outdoor patio areas of the Glen Abbey Branch. After an extensive search, Caroline Macfarlane, a Toronto-based artist and designer, was chosen to lead the unique and community-driven art project. Community art workshops were led by Caroline in early 2023, culminating in the anticipated unveiling of the installation in October. The beautiful “Happy Place” mural showcased the collective artwork of Oakville’s community, woven together by Caroline in one cohesive piece, a joyous addition to Glen Abbey Branch.   

Celebrating Oakville’s diversity through programming and partnerships  

In 2023, we held 2,269 programs and author events (in-person and virtual). Through many of those programs and events, OPL commemorated important cultural and historical days of significance, aiming to celebrate and elevate the voices of traditionally marginalized communities. These communities have significantly contributed to making Canada a culturally diverse, compassionate, and prosperous nation.  

• * Ekiuwa Aire and Camille King, during Black History Month, celebrating stories and art of Black and African cultures.  

• * Black History exhibits and walking tours with Oakville Museums and the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton. 

• * Famed drag artists Fay and Fluffy for a 2SLGBTQ+ inclusive family and teen storytimes, during Pride Month. 

• * The Art of Allyship workshop presented by Drag Academy, a program aimed at building equity and inclusion in the community and sharing how to engage in positive allyship.  

• * On Remembrance Day, OPL hosted two author events highlighting little-known stories from WWII. Local author Catherine Little presented her book, Endgame: The Secret Force 136, which covers the contributions of the mysterious Asian-Canadian Force 136 that were long buried. Sean E. Livingston presented his book Oakville’s Flower: The History of HMCS Oakville, detailing the history of the corvette that fought in the Battle of the Atlantic. 

Expanding Teen Programming 

In May 2023, OPL held its first after-hours Teen Carnival at White Oaks Branch. The event included interactive activities such as trivia, Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), crafts, and a very popular cosplay contest. With over 40 teens participating the success of the program is due to to a collaboration between staff and OPL’s Youth Library Leaders, a volunteer group of high school students.  This event was so well received it led to Halloween-themed event later in the year. 

Mental health supports through OPL 

OPL partnered with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Halton, to host their community programming at our library branches. Programming including a community “SafeTalk” training as part of the Halton Suicide Prevention Coalition’s ongoing required initiatives to achieve certification to be a “suicide safer community,” via the Mental Health Commission of Canda. Other programs offered were an 8-week coping skills group and meetings for Parents of Children's of Mental Health.  

Creating welcoming and accessible spaces for all  

Over the past 5 years, OPL has continued its build its collection of accessible materials. OPL offers many alternative formats within its collections, including large print books, books on CD, dyslexia-friendly decodable books, e-books and e-audiobooks. In addition, OPL has an ongoing partnership with the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA), which provides access to over a million items in braille, print braille, e-braille as well as audio formats for individuals with print disabilities.  

OPL also provides reading aids in the form of technology, including magnifiers and accessible computer workstations at select branches. In 2023, the ReachDeck toolbar was added to OPL’s website to increase the accessibility to programs and the OPL catalogue. Text-to-speech capabilities have also been added to checkout kiosks in branches.  

Central Branch and Woodside Branch saw significant improvements made to its spaces to aid in accessibility for all. Central Branch had an EVAC chair installed so those who use wheelchairs may be evacuated safely. An accessible workstation was also added with an upgraded computer station featuring zoom text, access to Kurzwell Reading Machine, and a large font keyboard. The Woodside Branch saw improvements to its elevators with new accessible features, along with the addition of accessible study tables and increased square footage in study areas. 

Other notable highlights: 

• * Increased collection of dyslexia-friendly, decodable books for a variety of age groups to support literacy development for those seeking additional reading support. 

• * The Seed Library provided Oakville residents with access to a selection of free seeds to support local food systems, build community with fellow gardeners, and support people who are new to the world of gardening. We provided residents with 11,440 seed packets for the 2023 season.  

• * Offered the Library Pals program, which matches teens who have developmental disabilities with a teen volunteer to engage in social activities. 

• * OPL continued to support Girl Up Oakville, by collecting menstrual product donations for female identifying and non-gender conforming youth. All donations are delivered to the Women’s Centre of Halton. 

• * Free menstrual products are now available in at least one public bathroom at all OPL locations, with plans to expand to all locations in the future. 

• * New accessible washroom signage installed across OPL branches, after input from the Town of Oakville’s Corporate Inclusion Advisory Group. Signage includes Braille as well as updated active wheelchair symbol for accessibility. 

• * The Sixteen Mile Branch Relocation Project won the first-place award for Educational Modular Building under 10,000 sq ft from the Modular Building Institute (MBI). 

• * Oakville received a $5,000 grant from Civitan Club of Oakville to purchase a Rigamajig building kit. The Rigamajig is a large-scale, loose parts building and engineering kit. The kit inspires STEM / STEAM learning by empowering children to follow their curiosity through hands-on, open-ended, creative, and collaborative play. 

OPL is home to Information Oakville, and the Halton Information Providers (HIP). Through these two important divisions of the library, Oakville residents have equitable access to information through a range of community and government resources and services. Community services data, and information and referral agencies, play a critical role in local communities on all governmental levels. Since the 2020 pandemic, the information and referral sector has been highlighted as a critical service in disaster relief planning and community crisis management. As traditional forms of communication fade, content and information can now be created virtually anywhere by nearly everyone and accessed almost instantly around the world. More than ever, individuals are turning to local, referred, or verified sources. Local directories, like the Halton Community Services Directory (hipinfo.ca), continue to be valuable means of providing community resources, specialists, and crisis call centres for those in need. 

OPL in the Community 

Throughout the year OPL staff made visits beyond branch walls to spread the word about the library’s vast array of services and programs, attending hundreds of community events, school visits, retirement, long-term care, and residential community groups.  

Other notable highlights:  

• * OPL participated in the Halton Pride Parade, alongside Burlington Public Library, Halton Hills Public Library and Milton Public Library. 

• * OPL hosted an information tent and Family Storytimes at Oakville Family Ribfest. 

• * OPL staff participated in the annual Santa Claus Parade. 

• * The Youth Library Leaders high school student volunteers closed off the year with a holiday card drive. Students created and distributed holiday cards at local retirement homes, long-term care facilities and youth-serving agencies. Cards were created in the OPL Creation Zones.  

Thank you to the Friends of the Library 

The Friends of the Library (FOL) volunteer committee plays a vital role in raising funds to further OPL’s mission of bringing together people, information, and ideas to enrich lives and build healthy communities. 

• * Held 4 book sales and raised over $16,700 with upwards of 2,200 people attending the sales.   

• * Facilitated hundreds of book donations to Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, Women’s Centre of Halton, and the OPL’s Kids and Me Literacy programs.  

• * Book donations were also added to the Library on the Go Friendly Finds book bikes at Bronte BIA, and Friendly Finds kiosks throughout Oakville community centres. Over $6,500 were raised. All proceeds of the FOL sales help OPL to expand library services, programs and spaces.  

A special thanks goes to Samira Seradj (Sam), who completed her 2-year term as the FOL Committee Chair. Sam helped recruit a new FOL committee, supported the recruitment and training of hundreds of youths and adult volunteers, ran 7 book sales and 5 community events that raised over $30,000 for library programs and services.  

• Acclaim Health 
• Achēv  Employment, Newcomer, Language and Youth Services 
• Adult Learning Centre 
• Alcoholics Anonymous 
• Alzheimer Society of Halton of Brant, Haldimand Norfolk, Hamilton Halton 
• Angela Bellegarde – Tapwewin Indigenous Insights 
• Bronte BIA 
• Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton 
• Civitan Club of Oakville 
• Clearview Public School 
• Canadian Mental Health Association, Halton 
• Community Development Halton 
• Community Living Oakville  
• Connection in Action 
• Conservation Halton 
• Downtown Oakville BIA 
• Food for Life 
• Front Line Outreach 
• Garth Webb Secondary School 
• Gary Allen 
• Halton Environmental Network 
• Halton Equity and Diversity Roundtable (HEDR) 
• Halton Healthcare 
• Halton Information Providers 
• Halton Region 
• Halton Regional Police Service 
• HaltonParents 
• HMC Connections 
• International Dyslexia Association Ontario 
• James W. Hill Public School 
• Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation 
• Oak Park Neighbourhood Centre 
• Oakville and Milton Humane Society 
• Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts 
• Oakville Chamber Orchestra 
• Oakville Chinese Network Society 
• Oakville Community Foundation 
• Oakville Galleries 
• Oakville Literacy Alliance 
• Oakville Museum 
• Oakville Parent Child Centre 
• Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital 
• Oakvillegreen Conservation Association 
• Ontario Ancestors Halton-Peel Branch 
• Ontario Bar Association 
• Ontario by Bike 
• Ontario Caregiver Organization 
• Ontario Parks 
• Our Kids Network 
• Parents for Children’s Mental Health 
• Project Autism (Halton Youth Disability Advisory Council) 
• RBC Royal Bank, Bronte and Trafalgar Branches 
• Regional Learning Centre 
• Re-Imagine Ontario 
• Sheridan College 
• Sherry Ssaevil – Indigenous Education Lead, Halton District Catholic School Board 
• Shoppers Drug Mart, Trafalgar & Cornwall 
• Starbucks, Westoak Trails 
• Steve Paquette, Local Knowledge Keeper 
• The Centre for Skills Development 
• The Community Oak Park 
• The Positive Health Network
• Thomas Merton 
• Toronto Rock Athletic Centre (TRAC) 
• Town of Oakville  
• United Way Hamilton Halton 
• Visit Oakville 
• Volunteer Halton 
• Volunteer Halton Senior Connectors 
• White Oaks Secondary School 

A special mention to OPL’s longtime donors, Richard and Barbera Birkett, who were honoured for their Oakville Community Foundation fund for OPL. The fund reached its 20-year milestone in November 2023 

We are incredibly happy with the relationship Civitan, and our Market are developing with the Library, your Information Oakville nexus, and the Friends! The work that your office ‘(Information Oakville)’ is doing is literally providing pathways and connecting our community in ways that are critical. You are an arterial system for our community, and irreplaceable in that. As for the proposal and the potential in Rigamajig, we are honoured to be able to assist in acquiring it. - Dr. Al McMullan, Civitan Club of Oakville  

Our OPL staff and volunteers are the core of our organization. They are dedicated and work tirelessly to support everyone who enters our doors, fostering inspiration, connection, creativity, and learning. In 2023, 129 OPL staff participated in over 1,600 hours of professional development training in service of the growing and changing needs of our customers. 

* OPL’s leadership team completed TELUS Health’s Workplace Mental Health Leadership Certificate Program. The program was developed by LifeWorks in partnership with Bell Canada and the Anti-Stigma Research Chair and Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University. This certificate program focuses on fostering leadership practices and competencies that support the development of a mentally healthy workplace.  

• * OPL’s leadership team attended Mental Health First Aid through Canadian Mental Health Association Halton. 

• * Staff received training from Halton Housing Help and Acclaim Health. 

• * All staff participated in a Staff Development Day, which focused on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) topics such as dealing with microaggressions, neuro-inclusion, cultural humility, Indigenous ways of knowing and being, mental health, and intellectual freedom. 

• * At the 2023 Ontario Library Association (OLA) annual conference, several OPL staff members had the opportunity to present to their respective library peers about innovations in customer experience at OPL. Leadership staff Ryan Moniz, Manager, Customer Experience (Glen Abbey Branch), Angela Rerrie, Manager, Customer Experience (Clearview Branch) and Olivia Harris, Supervisor, Customer Experience (Sixteen Mile Branch) presented a session entitled “Designing Customer Service Training in Libraries.”