ocal history refreshes the environment, bringing life to things we often take for granted. It's all too easy to take libraries for granted. The image of dour buildings, quietly housing literary collections, the subdued environment only occasionally disturbed by the laughter of children. They seem to have always been there - urban monoliths ignored except by the infrequent visitor. Our view of libraries, particularly Ottawa's, is sharply modified by Phil Jenkins' new book.
Libraries are neither moribund nor simply bleak architecture. They are lively places, conceived and operated by dedicated people. Some of these people have staged active campaigns to establish or improve the Ottawa Public Library. Jenkins reveals their problems, their successes and failures and their influence in rich style.
Jenkins' works of Ottawa area history provides a sympathetic background to this mundane subject. He shows us how the library is a system, not simply a "house of books." The people within that "house" are keenly aware of those using the materials, a fact easily overlooked in our rush to use their services and their knowledge.
Jenkins innovatively structures his history of the OPL into the epochs of the City Librarians. There have been but a half dozen of them, each putting a personal stamp on how the institution operated. Hardly tucked away among the stacks, these individuals were all visible figures to Ottawa society. If they weren't attempting to set reading patterns to the borrowing public, they were battling for funds, arguing for new facilities and applying new technologies. The shy, withdrawn librarian of stereotype isn't present in these pages.
Ottawa started its library system as one of the multitude of such institutions supported by 19th Century steel magnate Andrew Carnegie.
Earlier proposals to create a library had fallen flat, but a pair of letters from Ottawa piqued the millionaire's interest. His contribution led to the building of the Ottawa Public Library - which was supposed to be named The Carnegie Library - in 1906. Ottawa actually obtained two libraries with Carnegie funding - the main library on Metcalfe Street and the Rosemount Branch on the west side. Old Ottawa South's Branch, which is now Sunnyside Branch followed the first library by 48 years.
Jenkins spends but little time on buildings, however. His focus is on the people running things. From the time of Lawrence Burpee, the City Librarian has been a formidable figure. Perhaps the most outstanding of these was Frederick Jennings [1936 - 1953]. His administration was the period of greatest innovation, introducing novelties like records, films, and most significantly, the Bookmobile, now headquartered at our Sunnyside Branch.
Increasing population led to demands for improved services and the South Branch was one result. It was built as the most modern of the new branches, with cinder block construction overlaid with Nepean limestone as a complement to the church across Bank Street.
The location made it the logical choice to house a bookmobile that would improve service yet further south of the city. Jennings achieved the branch, but encountered opposition from Charlotte Whitton, Canada's first woman mayor and one of Ottawa's most noteworthy. Conflict over the issue endured for years until the Library Board quietly diverted money from the operational funds to purchase the first Ottawa Bookmobile. It's a perfect example of the victory of subtlety over vehemence.
Jenkins has produced a readable and entertaining history of one of our most important institutions. He lists branches, Library Board Chairs and Writers-in-Residence in addition to some captivating statistics. He applauds the application of computer technology to library services and relates the impact of amalgamation. In all, there's much in this book for everyone, including both children and adult readers. There are also some interesting snippets of history - in particular the one about the little Chinese girl who "could rouse the interest in whatever she liked." Her subsequent career will catch every reader's interest.
