Loading AI tools
The Ontario Library Association (OLA) was established in 1900 and is the oldest continually operating library association in Canada.[1] With over 4,000 members, OLA is also the largest library association in Canada[2] and among the 10 largest library associations in North America.[1]
| Established | 1900 |
|---|---|
| Type | Library association |
| Location | |
President | Andrea Cecchett |
Vice President | Sabrina Saunders |
| Website | accessola |
The stated purpose of the OLA is to "give profile to the librarians, library workers and trustees in the school, college, university, public and special libraries of Ontario and to foster provincial programs that will improve library services in the institutions and communities our members serve and that will ensure equitable access to information for all citizens of the province."[1]
Founded in 1900, the OLA was formed after a meeting of the American Library Association held that same year in Montreal, where it was decided that a Canadian association was not currently practical.[3] Between 2006 and 2013, the OLA's office was at 50 Wellington Street, Toronto, Ontario.[4] In 2013, the OLA moved to 2 Toronto Street,[4] then to Danforth Avenue in 2021,[5] and to 192 Spadina Avenue in 2023.[6]
The OLA has seven divisions:[7]
- Association des bibliothèques de l’Ontario-Franco (ABO-Franco)
- Ontario College and University Library Association (OCULA)
- Ontario Health Library and Information Association (OHLIA)
- Ontario Library Boards’ Association (OLBA)
- Ontario Library and Information Technology Association (OLITA)
- Ontario Public Library Association (OPLA)
- Ontario School Library Association (OSLA)
Each division is headed by a president and elected council, and past division presidents serve on the OLA board of directors. The board of directors also includes the Executive Director and the executive committee, composed of the president, vice -president, past president, and treasurer.[2]
The OLA is affiliated with:
- Canadian Federation of Library Associations[8]
- Ex Libris Association[9]
- Library and Archives Canada Stakeholder Group[10]
- Ontario Health Libraries Association[10]
- The Partnership[10]
The OLA runs several programs, services, and events. Three of its most prominent are the Forest of Reading program, the Library Marketplace, and the OLA Super Conference.
Forest of Reading
OLA's Forest of Reading is Canada's largest recreational reading program, which has grown to ten reading programs since the early 1990s.[11][12] More than 270,000 readers participate annually from their school and/or public libraries.[12] The Forest award winners are chosen by votes cast by readers in the target age ranges for each of the specific book categories. Award winners are announced annually at the Forest of Reading Festival in Toronto.[13]
The stated goals of the Forest of Reading are:
- fostering a love of reading
- encouraging academic and social success in children through reading
- emphasizing the importance of libraries
- supporting Canadian books, publishers, authors, and illustrators.[12]
The ten awards offered under the Forest of Reading umbrella are:
- Blue Spruce Award - ages 4–7 (junior kindergarten–grade 2), English, picture books
- Silver Birch Express Award - ages 8–10 (grades 3–4), English, fiction/non-fiction
- Silver Birch Fiction Award - ages 8–12 (grades 3–6 ), English, fiction
- Yellow Cedar Award - ages 9–14 (grades 4–8), English, non-fiction
- Red Maple Award - ages 12–14 (grades 7–8), English, fiction
- White Pine Award - high school (grades 9–12), English, fiction
- Le prix Peuplier - ages vary, French, picture books
- Le prix Mélèze (formerly Le prix Tamarac Express) - ages vary, short chapter books or advanced picture books, French, fiction/nonfiction
- Le prix Tamarac - ages vary, chapter books, French, fiction/nonfiction
- Evergreen Award - adult, fiction/non-fiction[12][11]
Library Marketplace/OLA Press
The Library Marketplace is the official store of the OLA[14] and supports the OLA's position as the Canadian agent for twelve major professional library publishers and the International Literacy Association.[1] The OLA also operates the OLA Press, which publishes books, reports, and governance information for the OLA.[15]
OLA Super Conference
Begun in 1902 as the OLA's annual conference,[16] the event was rebranded in 1995 as the Super Conference.[17][4] Super Conference is the largest continuing education event in librarianship. The Super Conference also includes within it Canada's largest library trade show.[18] The event is held annually in Toronto, Ontario.
| Year(s) of Service | Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Melanie Mills | University of Western Ontario |
| 2022 | Sabrina Saunders | Blue Mountains Public Library |
| 2020-2021 | Andrea Cecchetto | Markham Public Library |
| 2019 | Richard Reid | Durham District School Board |
| 2018 | Kerry Badgley | North Grenville Public Library Board |
| 2017 | Leslie Weir | University of Ottawa |
| 2016 | Todd Kyle | Newmarket Public Library |
| 2015 | Jane Hilton | Whitby Public Library Board |
| 2014 | Anita Brooks Kirkland | Waterloo Region District School Board |
| 2013 | Susanna Hubbard Krimmer | London Public Library |
| 2012 | Karen McGrath | Niagara College |
| 2011 | Tanis Fink | Seneca College |
| 2010 | Mary Ann Mavrinac | University of Toronto |
| 2009 | Peggy Thomas | Toronto District School Board |
| 2008 | Sam Coghlan | Stratford Public Library |
| 2007 | Esther Rosenfeld | |
| 2006 | Janet Kaufman | University of Guelph |
| 2005 | Cynthia Archer | York University Library |
| 2004 | Ken Roberts | Hamilton Public Library |
| 2003 | Liz Kerr | Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board |
| 2002 | Stephen Abram | IHS MicroMedia |
| 2001 | Michael Ridley | University of Guelph |
| 2000 | Elizabeth Hoffman | Ryerson Polytechnic University |
| 1999 | June-Elaine Wilson | Ministry of Transportation Library |
| 1998 | Brian Bell | Oakville Public Library |
| 1997 | Greg Hayton | Cambridge Public Library |
| 1996 | John Black | University of Guelph |
| 1995 | Jane Horrocks | Richmond Hill Public Library |
| 1993-1994 | Janice Hayes | CNIB Library for the Blind |
| 1992-1993 | Allison Craig | West Carleton Secondary School |
| 1991-1992 | Paula de Ronde | Toronto Public Library |
| 1990-1991 | Stan Skrzeszewski | Southern Ontario Library Service |
| 1989-1990 | Wil Vanderelst | Government of Ontario Cabinet Office, Toronto Public Library, Canadian National Institute for the Blind Library Board |
| 1988-1989 | Peter Rogers | Cardinal Newman High School |
| 1987-1988 | Gerry Meek | Thunder Bay Public Library |
| 1986-1987 | Gerda Molson | Niagara-on-the-Lake Library |
| 1985-1986 | Penny McKee | Aurora Public Library |
| 1984-1985 | Alan Pepper | |
| 1983-1984 | Elizabeth Cummings | Lincoln Public Library |
| 1982-1983 | Beth Miller | University of Western Ontario |
| 1981-1982 | Barbara Smith | Peel Board of Education |
| 1980-1981 | Jean Orpwood | North York Public Library |
| 1979-1980 | Kenneth Frost | North York Public Library |
| 1978-1979 | Madge Allwood | South Central Regional Library |
| 1977-1978 | Karen Smith | Sir Adam Beck Secondary School |
| 1976-1977 | Andrew Gregorovich | Erindale College Library |
| 1975-1976 | Lawrence A. Moore | Queen’s University |
| 1974-1975 | Peter K. Mutchler | Thunder Bay Public Library |
| 1973-1974 | James J. Brown | Waterloo Public Library |
| 1972-1973 | Peter Hallsworth | Sudbury Public Library |
| 1971 | Fred Israel | Windsor Public Library |
| 1970-1971 | Irma McDonough | Toronto Government Library |
| 1969-1970 | John Dutton | North York Public Library |
| 1968-19689 | Erich R.W. Schultz | Waterloo University Library |
| 1967-1968 | Margaret Whiteman | Etobicoke Public Library |
| 1966-1967 | Albert W. Bowron | Scarborough Public Library |
| 1965-1966 | Leonard Freiser | Toronto School Library |
| 1964-1965 | Grace Crooks | Orillia Public Library |
| 1963-1964 | Hilda M. Brooke | Essex Public Library |
| 1962-1963 | Erik Spicer | Federal Government Library |
| 1961-1962 | Louise Schryver | Chatham Public Library |
| 1960-1961 | Betty D. Hardie | Etobicoke Public Library |
| 1959-1960 | C. Deane Kent | London Public Library |
| 1958-1959 | John D. Snell | Guelph Public Library |
| 1957-1958 | C.P. Crowley | Windsor Public Library |
| 1956-1957 | Mary Silverthorn | University of Toronto Library School |
| 1955-1956 | William L. Graff | North York Public Library |
| 1954-1955 | Dorothy Shoemaker | Kitchener Public Library |
| 1953-1954 | Isabel McLean | Sudbury Public Library |
| 1952-1953 | Robert Kennedy | |
| 1951-1952 | Gladys Shepley | Windsor Public Library |
| 1949-1951 | Lachlan Farquhar MacRae | Fort William Public Library |
| 1948-1949 | Mildred A. Clow | Kingston Public Library |
| 1947-1948 | Ruby Wallace | Niagara Falls Public Library |
| 1946-1947 | Margaret S. Gill | Ottawa Regional Library |
| 1945-1946 | James J. Talman | London University Library |
| 1943-1945 | Florence L. Cameron | St. Thomas Public Library |
| 1942-1943 | Wm. Stewart Wallace | University of Toronto Library |
| 1941-1942 | Freda F. Waldon | Hamilton Public Library |
| 1940-1941 | Anne I. Hume | Windsor Public Library |
| 1938-1940 | Kathleen Elliott | Galt Public Library |
| 1937-1938 | Edgar Urwin Dickenson | Wallaceburg Trustee |
| 1936-1937 | Dorothy Carlisle | Sarnia Public Library |
| 1935-1936 | Marjorie Jarvis | Toronto Public Library |
| 1933-1935 | Lurene McDonald | Hamilton Public Library |
| 1932-1933 | T. Bart Howard | Lambton County Trustee |
| 1931-1932 | Richard E. Crough | London Public Library |
| 1930-1931 | Aimee Kennedy | Kingston Public Library |
| 1929 | James Steele | Stratford Trustee |
| 1928-1929 | Lillian H. Smith | Toronto Public Library |
| 1926-1928 | Fred Landon | London University Library |
| 1925-1926 | E.A. Hardy | Toronto Trustee |
| 1924-1925 | G.W. Rudlen | Arnprior Public Library |
| 1923-1924 | W. Briden | St. Thomas Public Library |
| 1922-1923 | W.H. Murch | St. Thomas Public Library |
| 1921-1922 | W.J. Sykes | Ottawa Public Library |
| 1920-1921 | B. Mabel Dunham | Kitchener Public Library |
| 1919-1920 | D.M. Grant | Sarnia Public Library |
| 1918-1919 | F.P. Gavin | Windsor Public Library |
| 1917-1918 | Mary J. L. Black[20] | Fort William Public Library |
| 1916-1917 | George H. Locke | Toronto Public Library |
| 1915-1916 | David Williams | Collingwood Public Library |
| 1914-1915 | W.O. Carson | London Public Library |
| 1913-1914 | W.F. Moore | Dundas Public Library |
| 1912-1913 | C.R. Charteris | Chatham Public Library |
| 1911-1912 | L.J. Burpee | Ottawa Public Library |
| 1910-1911 | A.W. Cameron | Woodstock Public Library |
| 1909-1910 | Judge Hardy | Brantford Public Library |
| 1908-1909 | W.A. Bradley | Kitchener Public Library |
| 1906-1908 | Norman S. Gurd | Sarnia Public Library |
| 1905-1906 | W.J. Robertson | St. Catharines Public Library |
| 1904-1905 | W. Tyler | Guelph Public Library |
| 1902-1904 | Hugh H. Langton[21] | University of Toronto |
| 1900-1902 | James Bain[4] | Toronto Public Library |
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
