Accessible Library Services for Persons with Disabilities The Ontario Public Library Association (OPLA), a division of OLA, launched a video project to support ongoing library staff training on serving people with disabilities and compliance with the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service under the AODA. Staff Training Videos Here are four short videos depicting common sense …
OLA Cultural Diversity & Inclusion Committee Mandate To initiate, advise and mobilize support for action plans related to issues of cultural diversity in libraries within Ontario including recruitment, advancement and retention of underrepresented groups in libraries. The OLA Cultural Diversity and Inclusion Committee reports to the OLA Board of Directors. Committee Members Jennie Hamilton, Hamilton …
OLA Advocacy Representatives OLA’s Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing all OLA Advocacy activities. The OLA Advocacy Committee advises and responds to the OLA Board. Certain advocacy issues are also the responsibility of: OLA Indigenous Task Group OLA Diversity and Inclusion Task Force Advocacy issues specifically relating to School Libraries, Public Libraries and University/College …
Copyright Resources Welcome to OLA’s Copyright Resource page! The world of copyright and content use is a complicated one to navigate. Explore the links below and access key information, updates, and further reading material to help you manage copyright in your library and information-based organization. Copyright Basics Copyright Act CCH Canadian Ltd. v. Law Society …
Accessibility The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) was passed in 2005. Its goal is to make Ontario accessible for people with disabilities by 2025. One in seven people in Ontario have a disability. Over the next 20 years, that number will rise as the population ages. Libraries are a place for every member …
OLA Copyright Committee Mandate The OLA Copyright Committee will: Actively serve the membership of OLA by investigating and reporting on the most appropriate tools that will serve to assist and educate the membership in fulfilling their role(s) as practitioners, intermediaries and/or advisors to their user communities on copyright issues and concerns; Act as a resource …
Copyright Questions Please note that this program is currently on hold as of March 2020. Copyright Questions – an OLA member service OLA has a partnership with Community Legal Services (CLS) at Western University where law students, under the supervision of a lawyer, provide legal opinions on intellectual property (IP) matters (trademark, copyright, patent, personal …
Fair e-Book Pricing OLA has joined the Canadian Public Libraries for Fair Ebook Pricing coalition to raise awareness of the high prices that multinational publishers charge public libraries for ebooks. Demand for ebooks continues to grow rapidly – in fact, digital content is the fastest growing area of borrowing for public libraries. Multinational publishers impose …
Internet, Connectivity and Broadband Connectivity and broadband challenges are consistently presented to libraries, especially those in rural, northern and Indigenous areas. These areas do not have the needed infrastructure to support high-speed Internet access at the speed of at least 50 MB / second. Libraries play a role as the greatest equalizer of services, regardless …
First Nations Public Libraries in Ontario First Nations communities require public libraries just as much as any other community. Public libraries often serve as an accessible gathering place and information sharing resource for many First Nations communities, where they exist. There is broad recognition and support for the concept of continuing education at the …
