February 4, 2015
As you know, our incredible Library won a prestigious award – the OLITA Project Award! We wanted to share the celebration with our community as it truly recognizes Innisfil as a creative, dynamic and innovative Town. Library Chair Anne Kell presented the Ontario Library and Information Technology Association (OLITA) Project Award to the communtiy through Council on Wednesday February 4th, 2015 – many thanks to Deputy Mayor Lynn Dollin and Councillor Stan Daurio (also a Library Board member) for accepting the award. It was a wonderful opportunity to share such an incredible success story with everyone in the community who have inspired our Library to reimagine its role and be more relevant to the needs of our residents. The award will be on display at the Innisfil Town Hall.
The Innisfil ideaLAB & Library was selected based on our focus on Cultivating a Hacker Ethic, the creation of the ideaLAB, as well as how this new direction has impacted programming, outreach, organizational culture, services for businesses etc. OLITA’s President Dan Scott recognized Innisfil at the Ontario Library Association Superconference in Toronto on January 28th, 2015 and shared some remarkable comments about our Library. Here’s a quote he shared from a member of the awards committee:
“I’m very impressed that this is part of your strategic plan and part of the identity of the Library. You’ve been able to overcome and achieve a culture change in your library, which is often very difficult. Your marketing of the project helps redefine what a library can do for the community and what other libraries can accomplish. You’ve made yourselves a part of the fabric of the community and a leader.”
Wow! We were thrilled! Congratulations Innisfil!
Shelagh Paterson, Executive Director of Ontario Library Association, Dan Scott, President of OLITA, Susan Downs, IPL CEO, and Daniel Boivin, Executive Director of OCLC Canada, the OLITA Award Sponsor
Some of the past award winners include: OurOntario, a project at the provincial level, Ryerson University, Toronto Public Library, and Project Conifer an initiative linking major Canadian university library databases.
January 14, 2015
We are thrilled to announce that Innisfil Public Library is the proud recipient of the 2015 OLITA Project Award! We submitted an application to the Ontario Library Association for the OLITA (Ontario Library and Information Technology Association) Project Award in November. The award recognizes a project that demonstrates leadership in the application of technology to benefit library users, enhance library operations, and extend partnerships. Our application highlighted our focus on Cultivating a Hacker Ethic, with discussion of the ideaLAB as well as how this new direction has impacted programming, outreach, organizational culture, services for businesses etc. The Innisfil ideaLAB & Library will be recognized at the Ontario Library Superconference in January, and will be sponsored to present the project at the Canadian Library Association conference this spring.
We’re in great company – past recipients have included: GALLOP Portal (Government and Legislative Libraries Online Publications Portal), Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL), Ryerson University Library, OurOntario and Toronto Public Library.
See this year’s OLA award winners.
Thank you OLITA! We are the champions, my friends!