Giving back to the Ottawa Public Library

FOPLA’s mission is to lead a community of Friends in support of the Ottawa Public Library. We do this through our fundraising and advocacy efforts, and by acting as the number one advocate for the Ottawa Public Library in our community.

We strive to deliver a fulfilling volunteer experience, because we know our volunteers are vital to helping us build a growing community of library users and supporters.

Because of our efforts, and due to the dedication of our volunteers, we’re proud to be one of the leading library Friends’ groups in Canada. Since 2003, we’ve given more than $4 million to the Ottawa Public Library for programs, equipment and services not funded by Ottawa’s municipal budget.

Where do FOPLA’s donations go?

Funds that FOPLA donates to the Ottawa Public Library every year help support purchases of equipment, materials, facility improvements, and programs that are vital for the library and its customers, but do not make it into the OPL’s tight official budget. These items can include:

Furniture, display units, and shelving
Computers and other electronic hardware
Program supplies and materials
Purchase of hard copy and digital books
Funding for adult, senior, teen, and children’s programming
Sponsorship of community-oriented events like the Awesome Authors youth-writing contest

These are just a few examples, and over the years FOPLA’s support has extended in some way to all 33 branches of the Ottawa Public Library.

We love libraries, and how they are transforming themselves in the 21st century to benefit users and communities in new and exciting ways. We’re excited to continue our support of Ottawa’s public libraries, and we’re ready to give back even more in the years to come.

To learn more about where FOPLA’s donations go, and how much we donate to OPL per year, visit FOPLA’s gifts to the Ottawa Public Library.

GIVE TO FOPLA