Southern Ontario Library Service
Encyclopedia
The Southern Ontario Library Service (SOLS) 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 Ottawa
and the Quebec
border in the east, and as far north as Muskoka in the north. Almost 200 libraries are included in this group, and these range from libraries in small communities to libraries in cities with populations in the hundreds of thousands.
SOLS mission statement is as follows: “The people of Ontario, as represented by the Minister with jurisdiction for public libraries, will have equitable access to library services at a sustainable cost.”
SOLS is responsible for a number of services, including the following:
Ministry of Tourism and Culture (Ontario)
The Ministry of Tourism and Culture was created on January 18, 2010 when the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism were combined under one minister. It is responsible for the development of policies and programs and the operation of programs related to tourism, arts, cultural industries,...
. Established in 1989, SOLS delivers programs and services to Ontario public libraries
Public libraries in Ontario
-Background:Ontario public libraries are created by municipal by-laws and governed by public library boards. The Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture has responsibility for the administration of the Public Libraries Act...
in the southern half of the province, in a geographic area bounded by Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
in the south, to Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
and the Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
border in the east, and as far north as Muskoka in the north. Almost 200 libraries are included in this group, and these range from libraries in small communities to libraries in cities with populations in the hundreds of thousands.
SOLS mission statement is as follows: “The people of Ontario, as represented by the Minister with jurisdiction for public libraries, will have equitable access to library services at a sustainable cost.”
SOLS is responsible for a number of services, including the following:
- Managing the province wide resource sharing (interlibrary loan) network as well as a related courier service
- Providing libraries with information and advice on management, governance, and accreditation issues
- Managing and supporting numerous training and library skills development programs
- Providing opportunities for libraries to network and exchange information, both face to face and electronically
- Managing shared electronic, print and non-print collections