Knowledge Ontario
Encyclopedia
Knowledge Ontario is a non-profit organization supporting a number of related province-wide initiatives in Ontario
, Canada
, providing library and information resources, learning experiences and related services to people across all ages, locations, education levels and cultural institutions. Knowledge Ontario currently comprises five projects: Ask Ontario
(or AskON), Connect Ontario, Learn Ontario, Our Ontario and Resource Ontario, as well as the eResources Portal, which was launched in 2010.
(OLA) and provincial stakeholders representing Ontario's public libraries, colleges, universities, public schools, and government ministries. In 2003, OLA and the Knowledge Network for Learning (OKNL) submitted a business plan for the proposed organization to the Government of Ontario
, and in 2004 the Ontario Ministry of Culture provided the organization with an initial grant of $750,000 to further develop project plans. Knowledge Ontario remained an entity under OLA until its incorporation in 2006. In the same year, the organization received $8 million in provincial funding from the Ministry of Culture and launched its first three services: Our Ontario, Ask Ontario, and Resource Ontario. Since then, Knowledge Ontario has also launched Connect Ontario, Learn Ontario, and the eResources Portal.
was launched in 2008 as Ontario's first collaborative chat-based virtual reference service. Through the service, Ontarians can chat in real-time with an information specialist who can help them find research and other web based information materials.
As of 2011, there are over sixty public and post-secondary libraries from across the province participating in the project. Each partner contributes staff time towards a collaborative schedule.
, the first institution to pilot the catalogue, went live with BiblioCommons in July 2008. Since then, more than a dozen Ontario public libraries have rolled out the BiblioCommons catalogue.
“Bibliocommons is attempting to transform online library catalogues into social discovery environments,” said the Globe and Mail’s Jennifer Hollet in 2009. “Think Amazon.com for libraries. The Bibliocommons technology is able to decorate catalogues with member comments, ratings, lists, suggested similar titles, and quotes.”
The back-end of the portal is managed by VITA, a web-based software tool developed by Knowledge Ontario to provide cultural organizations with the means to create and manage data, digital objects, and collections.
Our Ontario also works in collaboration with the Southern Ontario Library Service
(SOLS) and Ontario Library Service-North (OLS-N) to digitize objects at the local level. SOLS currently funds the digitization project through a $15 million grant from the Ontario Government.
, a representative of the broader cultural sector and three other members designed to reflect additional strategic considerations as they change over time.
The current board of directors members are:
Janice Beatty, Vice President, Human Resources and Student Services, Sault College
Sharon Brown, Chief Librarian, Wilfred Laurier University
Philip Jeffrey, Manager of Library & Information Service, Hamilton Wentworth Catholic District School Board
Peter Rogers, Chair Person (former Chair of Management Group)
Michael Bator, CEO, Catholic Curriculum Corporation
Jessica Kamphorst, Director of Advancement, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
From the report:
Bibliocommons
Knowledge Ontario
Learn Ontario
Knowledge Ontario eResources - English Portal
Knowledge Ontario Ressources - French Portal
ONdemande- French Portal
Our Ontario - English Portal
Our Ontario - French Portal
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, providing library and information resources, learning experiences and related services to people across all ages, locations, education levels and cultural institutions. Knowledge Ontario currently comprises five projects: Ask Ontario
Ask Ontario
Ask Ontario is a realtime chat research and information service that connects residents of Ontario, Canada to staff at public, university, and college libraries across the province, for free instant-messaging-based reference help online...
(or AskON), Connect Ontario, Learn Ontario, Our Ontario and Resource Ontario, as well as the eResources Portal, which was launched in 2010.
History
Knowledge Ontario, formerly known as the Ontario Digital Library, was first conceptualized in the early-2000s during consultations between the Ontario Library AssociationOntario Library Association
Ontario Library Association , established in 1900, is the oldest continually operating library association in Canada. With 5,190 members as of January 1, 2007, OLA is the largest library association in Canada....
(OLA) and provincial stakeholders representing Ontario's public libraries, colleges, universities, public schools, and government ministries. In 2003, OLA and the Knowledge Network for Learning (OKNL) submitted a business plan for the proposed organization to the Government of Ontario
Government of Ontario
The Government of Ontario refers to the provincial government of the province of Ontario, Canada. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....
, and in 2004 the Ontario Ministry of Culture provided the organization with an initial grant of $750,000 to further develop project plans. Knowledge Ontario remained an entity under OLA until its incorporation in 2006. In the same year, the organization received $8 million in provincial funding from the Ministry of Culture and launched its first three services: Our Ontario, Ask Ontario, and Resource Ontario. Since then, Knowledge Ontario has also launched Connect Ontario, Learn Ontario, and the eResources Portal.
Awards
- 2008 - Ontario Library Association President's Award for Exceptional Achievement
- 2008 - OLITA Award for Technology Innovation in Libraries - for the Our Ontario portal
- 2010 - Canadian Library Association/Information Today Award for innovative technology
- 2010 - Information Technology Hero Award Finalist
- 2011 - OSLA Award for Special Achievement for David Thornley (Knowledge Ontario's Executive Director) and Peter Rogers (Board Chair)
Ask Ontario
Also known as askON and ONdemande, Ask OntarioAsk Ontario
Ask Ontario is a realtime chat research and information service that connects residents of Ontario, Canada to staff at public, university, and college libraries across the province, for free instant-messaging-based reference help online...
was launched in 2008 as Ontario's first collaborative chat-based virtual reference service. Through the service, Ontarians can chat in real-time with an information specialist who can help them find research and other web based information materials.
As of 2011, there are over sixty public and post-secondary libraries from across the province participating in the project. Each partner contributes staff time towards a collaborative schedule.
Connect Ontario
Connect Ontario is currently partnered with BiblioCommons and BC Libraries to create and promote its next generation online public access catalogue. The service is unique in that it merges search catalogue capabilities with easy-to-use social media tools. Oakville Public LibraryOakville Public Library
Oakville Public Library is the public library system for the Town of Oakville, Ontario, Canada.Through its 6 branches, its website and its various Book Nook and outreach locations, the Oakville Public Library provides a wide range of services for Oakville residents. In 2008 the Oakville Public...
, the first institution to pilot the catalogue, went live with BiblioCommons in July 2008. Since then, more than a dozen Ontario public libraries have rolled out the BiblioCommons catalogue.
“Bibliocommons is attempting to transform online library catalogues into social discovery environments,” said the Globe and Mail’s Jennifer Hollet in 2009. “Think Amazon.com for libraries. The Bibliocommons technology is able to decorate catalogues with member comments, ratings, lists, suggested similar titles, and quotes.”
Learn Ontario
Learn Ontario (http://learnontario.ca) provides online tech tutorials for a wide range of software, applications, and social media tool sets. The service was officially launched in 2010, and is currently partnered with Atomic Learning.Our Ontario
Our Ontario is a collective undertaking that aims to centralize access to the historic collections that are part of the province’s libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions. The project’s online portal (http://ourontario.ca) officially launched in 2007 as an access point to digitized documents, images and objects from Ontario’s past. Since then, the portal has grown to include historic newspapers and government documents, and now features more than 1.4 million records.The back-end of the portal is managed by VITA, a web-based software tool developed by Knowledge Ontario to provide cultural organizations with the means to create and manage data, digital objects, and collections.
Our Ontario also works in collaboration with the Southern Ontario Library Service
Southern Ontario Library Service
The Southern Ontario Library Service is a “non-scheduled agency” of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture. Established in 1989, SOLS delivers programs and services to Ontario public libraries in the southern half of the province, in a geographic area bounded by Windsor in the south, to...
(SOLS) and Ontario Library Service-North (OLS-N) to digitize objects at the local level. SOLS currently funds the digitization project through a $15 million grant from the Ontario Government.
Resource Ontario
Resource Ontario licenses a selection of e-resources on behalf of Ontario’s school boards, colleges, and universities. The current list of content includes more than 50 academic and general-interest databases from Career Cruising, EBSCO, Rosen Publishing, and the Gale Group. The sector representatives that sit on Resource Ontario’s steering committee conduct surveys and work with partnering organizations to ensure that the content licensed by Knowledge Ontario reflects a balance among the disciplines.eResources Portal
Launched August 2010, the eResources Portal (http://eresources.knowledgeontario.ca) makes the e-resources available through Resource Ontario freely accessible to all Ontarians.Partners and Funders
| Libraries and other educational and cultural institutions |
6500 organizations including:
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| Professional Associations |
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Ontario Library Association Ontario Library Association , established in 1900, is the oldest continually operating library association in Canada. With 5,190 members as of January 1, 2007, OLA is the largest library association in Canada.... |
| Public Library Federations |
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Southern Ontario Library Service The Southern Ontario Library Service is a “non-scheduled agency” of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture. Established in 1989, SOLS delivers programs and services to Ontario public libraries in the southern half of the province, in a geographic area bounded by Windsor in the south, to... |
| Academic Library Federations |
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| School Library Associations |
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| Vendors |
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Board of Directors
Knowledge Ontario is governed by a 13-member Board of Directors. Eight of these members are appointed by and are intended to reflect the interests of lead stakeholder groups (public libraries, university and college library systems and school libraries/school boards). The remaining five members of the Board include the executive director of the Ontario Library AssociationOntario Library Association
Ontario Library Association , established in 1900, is the oldest continually operating library association in Canada. With 5,190 members as of January 1, 2007, OLA is the largest library association in Canada....
, a representative of the broader cultural sector and three other members designed to reflect additional strategic considerations as they change over time.
The current board of directors members are:
College Libraries
Gladys Watson, Director, Learning Resource Centres, Centennial CollegeJanice Beatty, Vice President, Human Resources and Student Services, Sault College
Sault College
Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology is one of 24 publicly funded colleges in Ontario. Sault College is located in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and began in 1965 as the Ontario Vocational Centre...
University Libraries
Ken Hernden, Chief Librarian, Algoma UniversitySharon Brown, Chief Librarian, Wilfred Laurier University
School Libraries
John Stadnyk, Director of Education, Huron-Superior Catholic District School BoardHuron-Superior Catholic District School Board
The Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board is a separate school board for Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, and surrounding communities.-Sault Ste. Marie:* Holy Angels Learning Centre* St. Basil Secondary* St. Mary's College-Sault Ste. Marie:...
Philip Jeffrey, Manager of Library & Information Service, Hamilton Wentworth Catholic District School Board
At Large Members
Shelagh Paterson, Executive Director, Ontario Library AssociationOntario Library Association
Ontario Library Association , established in 1900, is the oldest continually operating library association in Canada. With 5,190 members as of January 1, 2007, OLA is the largest library association in Canada....
Peter Rogers, Chair Person (former Chair of Management Group)
Michael Bator, CEO, Catholic Curriculum Corporation
Jessica Kamphorst, Director of Advancement, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
The Newman Report: Third Generation Public Libraries
In 2008, Wendy Newman, a Senior Fellow and Lecturer at the University of Toronto’s iSchool, released a report commissioned by the Ontario Ministry of Culture titled Third Generation Public Libraries. In the study she concludes that Knowledge Ontario is one of the keys to advancing the province’s knowledge-based economy.From the report:
The opportunity posed by Knowledge Ontario is not just provision of information and content services equitably across Ontario, but the platform for collaboration within a sector (public, school, post-secondary) that encompasses formal and informal learning, in an Ontario economy that must become ever more knowledge based. It is also the natural foundation for private sector partnership (e.g., in software development). Knowledge Ontario began with one-time funding. It will require a stable financial foundation and a policy commitment to additional partnerships with education and post-secondary ministries, with which it shares a community of interest, to reach its full potential.
External Links
askON - English PortalBibliocommons
Knowledge Ontario
Learn Ontario
Knowledge Ontario eResources - English Portal
Knowledge Ontario Ressources - French Portal
ONdemande- French Portal
Our Ontario - English Portal
Our Ontario - French Portal