Overview

The Ontario Public Library Service Awards recognize Ontario’s public libraries for their creative library service ideas.

There are two awards, each with categories for large, medium, and small libraries:

  • Minister's Award for Innovation recognizes successful new approaches that demonstrate a positive impact in a community and are of continued value to public libraries
  • Angus Mowat Award of Excellence recognizes a commitment to excellence in the delivery of public library service; these services can be old or new and can be ongoing

An independent committee of public library sector representatives review award submissions. Winners are announced at the annual Ontario Library Association superconference.

Browse the 2024 shortlist of nominees.

2024 winners

Angus Mowat Award of Excellence

Small Library Category

Pembroke Public Library for: Around the World in 90 Days Reading Challenge

The Around the World in 90 Days Reading Challenge, initiated by the Pembroke Public Library, has grown from a one-time library event to a community-wide collaboration within the Renfrew and Lanark counties of the Ottawa Valley. In partnership with six different libraries (Deep River Public Library, Killaloe District Public Library, Lanark Highlands Public Library, Perth & District Union Public Library, Smiths Falls Public Library and Whitewater Region Public Library) and one school classroom, staff members from each site strove to expand cultural awareness and appreciation in their rural communities. This effort to bolster multicultural literacy was done by showcasing books about various countries as well as engaging patrons through fun challenges and educational programming for all ages.

Medium Library Category

County of Brant Public Library for: Digitally Savvy Older Adults

Adults 55 years of age and older make up the fastest-growing demographic in Brant County. As a result, the Digitally Savvy Older Adults program series was created by the County of Brant Public Library to engage, educate and entertain this dynamic group, featuring workshops aimed at increasing awareness of identity theft and other online scams, as well as developing technology-related skill sets. Participants learned how to safely navigate online spaces and gain confidence when interacting with unfamiliar technology.

Large Library Category

Kitchener Public Library for: Food literacy programming

In 2019, Kitchener Public Library initiated 85 Green, a food literacy project aimed at addressing after-school hunger in children and teens, providing education on sustainable food practices, and encouraging hands-on culinary experiences — all while celebrating diverse cultures through food. Subsequently, the library has grown partnerships, programming and community awareness through integrated opportunities to encourage food literacy. In 2024, 85 Green is a thriving initiative that prioritizes food literacy outcomes through culturally significant programming. The library is positively contributing to food self-efficacy, food skills and knowledge, and is directly affecting social determinants of health.

Minister’s Award for Innovation

Small Library Category

Port Colborne Public Library for: The Touch-a-Truck book – written and illustrated by the children of Port Colborne

The Port Colborne Public Library participated in the municipality's annual Touch-a-Truck event by inviting children to create drawings and write about their favorite vehicles. These pages were compiled into a book, catalogued for library circulation, and distributed to various city departments and partners. The project engaged the community, celebrated the city's services, and promoted literacy by making the children published authors, resulting in a popular, community-centric initiative that highlights the collaboration between the library, city departments and the residents of the community.

Medium Library Category

Orillia Public Library for: Human services coordination

The Orillia Public Library created a human services coordinator role to provide person-centric social supports and community navigation services to vulnerable library patrons and staff. Employing a trauma-informed approach, and working from a harm-reduction lens, the coordinator connects under-resourced patrons to relevant services and provides brief case management to individuals as needed. The coordinator collaborates with local service providers to deliver on-site programming, creating a communal space for organizational partners to reach shared clientele. The coordinator provides support to library staff via education, de-escalation and debriefing. This has improved staff wellness, increased library safety and reduced police intervention.

Large Library Category

Barrie Public Library for: Enhancing the customer experience with staff mobile devices

In 2022, the Barrie Public Library refreshed its customer experience strategy by shrinking the size of its service desk and encouraging staff to circulate throughout the library. With this change, the library needed to provide staff with tools that allowed them to communicate seamlessly with each other and access the library catalogue and interlibrary loan service — whether they were in the library or in the community at an outreach event. The library took the innovative step of providing frontline staff with mobile devices and headsets, enabling them to register patrons for a library card, check out items and help with their accounts on the spot, greatly enhancing the library’s customer service experience.

Past winners

Browse a list of past winners.