Important Update from the Ontario Library Association – November 16, 2021

Greeting members and partners,

I want to first thank you for your continued support and participation with the Ontario Library Association during this challenging year and a half. OLA has thrived in many ways thanks to the participation of members in developing relevant programs and oversight of the association and its’ divisions.

We are writing to let you know that we were able to release our office space which will help us with the association’s economic recovery. As such, the Ontario Library Association will be moving out of our 2 Toronto Street office by November 30, 2021.

While we do anticipate leasing a space down the road, OLA staff have done an exceptional job by working virtually since March 2020 and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. OLA volunteers continue to participate virtually, and we know that this will be the preference for some time.

Please note the following impacts of our move over the next month: 

• From November 15 to November 19, the office will be closed. Visit our website to renew your membership or register for our events or the Forest of Reading. Staff will not be available during this time. We will respond to you promptly after November 22. 
• The Library Marketplace will be closed November 17 to November 28. You may shop online during the closure, but please expect delays with order fulfilment as we will not be able to ship any purchases during this time. Merchandise orders made during store closure will be fulfilled the first week of December. Professional resource orders from ALA (American Library Association) imprints and ABC-Clio will be delayed until mid-December.  
• If you are holiday shopping, please place your orders before November 16 to guarantee arrival before December. 
• We will provide more updates later with our new mailing address and any changes associated with this move. 

A Look Ahead 

Our 2 Toronto Street address has been OLA’s home since 2013. We’ve heard from our volunteers and members that they will miss meeting and gathering in this space. We encourage you to post your memories and photos on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. We’d love to share them so please mention us in your posts. 

We deeply appreciate your patience during this transition. Feel free to contact us with any questions. 

Thank you for your continued support and involvement with OLA! 

Shelagh Paterson, executive director