6
Subject: Ontario
Ministry of Culture $15 Million Investment in Public Libraries
Prepared by: Barbara Clubb, City Librarian
Prepared for: Ottawa Public Library
Board
Meeting of: June 15, 2009
Date of preparation: May 26, 2009
1. That the Library Board approve the following
recommended OPL allocation ($165,225) of the Ontario Ministry of Culture $15
million investment in public libraries:
Customer
Services Training $51,500
Daisy
Readers $20,000
MP3 Books $10,000
Assistive
Workstations $33,725
Total $165,225
2. And that the approved recommendations be submitted to
the Southern Ontario Library Service by June 30, 2009.
References
1. City Librarian’s Report February 9, 2009
2. http://www.sols.org/ministryprojects/$15MillionInvestment/15MillionInvestment.htm
Background
1. The Ontario Ministry of Culture is investing $15
million in Public Libraries through the Southern Ontario Library Service (SOLS)
and the Ontario Library Service-North (OLSN). On January 29, 2009 at the OLS
Superconference, SOLS and OLSN unveiled the details of the project. The $15
million is to be used for the purpose of supporting public libraries’ efforts
to provide equitable access to a range of digital information, community
collections and services to Ontarians. The expenditure plan was developed after
extensive sectoral consultation. The Board and staff of the Ottawa Public
Library participated in the consultation process.
Over $7 million of the $15 million was allocated to a library credits program for specific target areas including: learning and literacy; collections; training; Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities (AODA) compliance and Automation-New Technologies. The final credit allocation for the Ottawa Public Library is $165,225.
Application for the library credit must be submitted to SOLS by June 30, 2009. The deadline for the expenditure of funds is December 31, 2010.
2. OPL management recommendations for the expenditure of
these funds support the implementation of the Board’s Strategic
Directions. They include:
a) Accessible and Tactile Signage ($50,000) The signage would qualify under the AODA
compliance target category. In the beginning of 2009, tactile directional signs
were installed at Vanier and Cumberland. The OPL Accessibility Working Group
has identified a need to extend this accessible signage program to include
visual image signage, which is used to portray collection images for
comprehension by members of the public with learning disabilities and low
literacy skills. Initial examples of such signage were obtained through the
American Library Association but would need to be revised to properly address
OPL’s needs. A consultant with the proper expertise would be retained to
research best practices, determine appropriate graphical directions, and design
and recommend a suitable graphic approach for all future accessible and tactile
signage at OPL. Estimates place the cost of a signage consultant to undertake
this task at $20,000. Installation of accessible signage is estimated to be
$3,000 to $6,000 per branch, depending on recommendations and size of branch.
b) Customer Service Training ($51,500). This would meet the training target
category. As an organization that provides service to the pubic, it is
essential that all staff have highly developed customer service skills when
dealing with patrons and colleagues. In addition, many centralized departments
provide customer service to internal customers within OPL. In keeping with the
OPL value of customer service orientation to “excel in customer-driven service
and respond to the diverse needs of the population of Ottawa”, it is important that
standard customer service principles be developed and staff are trained and
comfortable in applying these principles.
The funding would be used to retain an expert to work with the OPL
Customer Service Program Team to develop a training package. The expert would
develop/provide a train-the-trainer model and would train the OPL trainers
before the program implementation system-wide.
Funding would support the development of the training package including
facilitator’s guide, PowerPoint presentation and participants’ materials,
train-the-trainer session and proprietary rights to the training material and
reproduction of the participants’ materials.
c) Daisy Readers ($20,000).
This would qualify under the collections and new technologies target
category. With the demise of books on
cassettes, more and more clients with print disabilities are turning to the
Daisy Reader for listening to books. The Daisy Reader costs approximately $500
per unit and remains prohibitively expensive for the majority of OPL clients. The OPL assistive services program
currently has 39 Daisy players and homebound services program has and
additional nine. These players are on loan to library clients for three-month
periods. There are often hold lists on the players, which means clients cannot
renew their loan. $20,000 would supply 40 additional players and would enable
OPL to meet the growing demand for these readers.
d) MP3 Books ($10,000).
This would qualify under the collections and new technologies target category.
Books on cassette are no longer available from the CNIB for persons with print
disabilities. OPL began purchasing books from the CNIB in the format for Daisy
Readers two years ago. The format continues to grow in popularity, but the
selection from the CNIB is limited. Many popular titles are available
commercially in the MP3 format, which can be played on the Daisy Readers. The
current collections budget for the assistive services program is $10,000, and
has remained the same for a number of years. This grant funding would provide
200 more titles, and would provide OPL’s print disabled clients with a strong
basic collection.
e) Assistive Technology Workstations (The balance of the funding, @$33,725). This would
qualify under the AODA compliance category. At the end of 2009 OPL will have
provided assistive workstations in 15 locations to accommodate specialized
needs not met by existing workstations. The SOLS credit will support the
installation of an additional three workstations. The assistive workstations
provide screen reading technology, enlargement, and other systems to help
increase the accessibility of library PCs. Adaptive workstation desktop images
have been developed and therefore would be easily deployed. Each deployment
would cost approximately $7,500 for hardware/software, $2,070 for an adjustable
desk and $250 for cabling.
Contact
Person:
Barbara
Herd
Division
Manager, Public and Support Services
Ottawa
Public Library
613-580-2424
x41303
Barbara.herd@biblioottawalibrary.ca