Knowledge Ontario

Last updated
Knowledge Ontario
Type Non Profit
IndustryInformation Services
Founded2006
DefunctDecember 31, 2012 (2012-12-31)
Fatedissolved
Headquarters
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Website knowledgeontario.ca

Knowledge Ontario was 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. It comprised 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. Knowledge Ontario ceased operations on December 31, 2012. [1] [2]

Contents

History

Knowledge Ontario, formerly known as the Ontario Digital Library, was first conceptualized in the early-2000s during consultations between the Ontario Library Association (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, [3] 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. [4] 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

Projects and Services

Ask Ontario

Also known as askON and ONdemande, Ask Ontario was launched in 2008 as Ontario's first collaborative chat-based virtual reference service with partner libraries from universities, colleges, and public libraries. 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. [9] [10] Each partner contributes staff time towards a collaborative schedule. [11] Today, askON is a college library chat and SMS service managed by the Ontario Colleges Library Service (OCLS).

Connect Ontario

Connect Ontario is currently partnered with BiblioCommons and BC Libraries to create and promote its next generation online public access catalogue. [12] The service is unique in that it merges search catalogue capabilities with easy-to-use social media tools. [13] Oakville Public Library, 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. [12]

"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." [14]

Learn Ontario

Learn Ontario (http://learnontario.ca%5B%5D) 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. [15]

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. [16] [17]

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. [18]

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. [19]

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. [20] 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. [21]

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. [22]

Partners and Funders

Libraries and other educational and cultural institutions
6500 organizations [23] including:
  • publicly funded public, school, university, college and government libraries
  • cultural institutions such as museums, archives and historical societies
  • Ontario municipalities
Professional Associations
Public Library Federations
Academic Library Federations
School Library Associations
Vendors

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 Association, a representative of the broader cultural sector and three other members designed to reflect additional strategic considerations as they change over time. [24]

The current board of directors members are:

Public Libraries

Sam Coghlan, CEO, Stratford Public Library

College Libraries

Gladys Watson, Director, Learning Resource Centres, Centennial College

Janice Beatty, Vice President, Human Resources and Student Services, Sault College

University Libraries

Ken Hernden, Chief Librarian, Algoma University

Sharon Brown, Chief Librarian, Wilfrid Laurier University

School Libraries

John Stadnyk, Director of Education, Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board

Philip Jeffrey, Manager of Library & Information Service, Hamilton Wentworth Catholic District School Board

At Large Members

Shelagh Paterson, Executive Director, Ontario Library Association

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, [25] 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. [26]

Cessation

Knowledge Ontario has ceased operations, effective December 31, 2012.

Related Research Articles

The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members as of 2021.

The Ontario Library Association (OLA) was established in 1900 and is the oldest continually operating library association in Canada. With 5,000 members, OLA is also the largest library association in Canada and among the 10 largest library associations in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European Library</span> Web service providing access to resources of national libraries across Europe

The European Library is an Internet service that allows access to the resources of 49 European national libraries and an increasing number of research libraries. Searching is free and delivers metadata records as well as digital objects, mostly free of charge. The objects come from institutions located in countries which are members of the Council of Europe and range from catalogue records to full-text books, magazines, journals and audio recordings. Over 200 million records are searchable, including 24 million pages of full-text content and more than 7 million digital objects. Thirty five different languages are represented among the searchable objects.

Digital reference is a service by which a library reference service is conducted online, and the reference transaction is a computer-mediated communication. It is the remote, computer-mediated delivery of reference information provided by library professionals to users who cannot access or do not want face-to-face communication. Virtual reference service is most often an extension of a library's existing reference service program. The word "reference" in this context refers to the task of providing assistance to library users in finding information, answering questions, and otherwise fulfilling users’ information needs. Reference work often but not always involves using reference works, such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc. This form of reference work expands reference services from the physical reference desk to a "virtual" reference desk where the patron could be writing from home, work or a variety of other locations.

Serials Solutions was a division of ProQuest that provided e-resource access and management services (ERAMS) to libraries. These products enabled librarians to more easily manage electronic resources that serve the needs of their users. Serials Solutions became part of ProQuest Workflow Solutions in 2011 and the "Serials Solutions" name was retired in 2014. In 2015, Proquest acquired Ex Libris Group, a library automation company with many similar products to those of ProQuest Workflow Solutions. The Workflow Solutions division was to be merged with Ex Libris into a new business group called "Ex Libris, a ProQuest Company".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse Shera</span> American librarian (1903–1982)

Jesse Hauk Shera was an American librarian and information scientist who pioneered the use of information technology in libraries and played a role in the expansion of its use in other areas throughout the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.

The Art Libraries Society of North America is an organization of approximately 1,000 art librarians, library students and visual resource professionals, founded in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Choral Public Domain Library</span> Free Access Choral Music Archive

The Choral Public Domain Library (CPDL) is a sheet music archive which focuses on choral and vocal music in the public domain or otherwise freely available for printing and performing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Academic library</span> Library attached to a higher education institution

An academic library is a library that is attached to a higher education institution and serves two complementary purposes: to support the curriculum and the research of the university faculty and students. It is unknown how many academic libraries there are worldwide. An academic and research portal maintained by UNESCO links to 3,785 libraries. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are an estimated 3,700 academic libraries in the United States. In the past, the material for class readings, intended to supplement lectures as prescribed by the instructor, has been called reserves. Previously before the electronic appliances became available, the reserves were supplied as actual books or as photocopies of appropriate journal articles. Modern academic libraries generally also provide access to electronic resources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitchener Public Library</span>

The Kitchener Public Library is the public library system for the city of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. It consists of five libraries; a large Central Library in the downtown core, with four Community Libraries spread out to provide services for the neighbourhoods of Kitchener.

An open textbook is a textbook licensed under an open license, and made available online to be freely used by students, teachers and members of the public. Many open textbooks are distributed in either print, e-book, or audio formats that may be downloaded or purchased at little or no cost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trove</span> Australian online library database aggregator

Trove is an Australian online library database owned by the National Library of Australia in which it holds partnerships with source providers National and State Libraries Australia, an aggregator and service which includes full text documents, digital images, bibliographic and holdings data of items which are not available digitally, and a free faceted-search engine as a discovery tool.

BlackPast.org is a web-based reference center that is dedicated primarily to the understanding of African-American history and Afro-Caribbean history and the history of people of Sub-Saharan African ancestry. In 2011 the American Library Association's Reference and User Services Association included it in its list of the 25 Best Free Reference Websites of the Year. According to BlackPast.org, the website has a global audience of about two million visitors per year from over 100 nations. In 2009, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, Brazil, and Germany ranked as the top five countries in visitors to the site after the United States. A 2008 website review described it as easily navigable and well organized but also as containing omissions among some features and as a work in progress. By 2009, the organization was selected by New York Public Library reference librarians as one of the top 25 hybrid print and electronic resources for the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ask Ontario</span> Canadian student to library chat service

Ask Ontario (askON) is a realtime chat and SMS-based research information service that connects students of Ontario, Canada to staff at college libraries across the province, for instant-messaging and SMS-based reference help online. askON's mandate is to help visitors find better information than they can on their own, and to raise the profile of Ontario's libraries as providers of services and tools, responsive to the needs of an increasingly digitally literate society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Library Corporation</span>

The Library Corporation (TLC) creates and distributes automation and cataloging software to public, school, academic, and special library systems worldwide. Based in Inwood, W.Va., with additional offices in Denver, Singapore, and Ontario, the company is owned and operated by the same family that established it in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital Public Library of America</span> US digital library project

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is a US project aimed at providing public access to digital holdings in order to create a large-scale public digital library. It officially launched on April 18, 2013, after two-and-a-half years of development.

BiblioCommons is a privately held company, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that develops front end interactive catalog and web services for libraries. In February 2020, BiblioCommons was acquired by Volaris Group, an operating segment of Constellation Software.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Western Ontario Faculty of Information & Media Studies</span>

The Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS) is a faculty at University of Western Ontario, located in London, Ontario, Canada. The faculty offers programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels focusing on the advancement of knowledge in media, communications, and information technologies.

The Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) is an academic library consortium of Ontario's 21 university libraries located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Formed in 1967, OCUL member institutions work together to maximize the expertise and resources of their institutions through shared services and projects. OCUL works together in a number of key areas of importance for library services, including collective content purchasing, shared digital infrastructure, external partnerships, and professional development initiatives.

Law Library Resource Xchange is a free monthly e-journal, founded in 1996, owned, edited and published by a solo law/business librarian, researcher, and expert knowledge strategist. Content is written by the editor, as well as law librarians, attorneys, academics, law students and other information professionals. LLRX publishes a weekly column on cyber-crime, cybersecurity and privacy, articles on Internet research, technology-related issues, technology-related resources, and technology-related tools. Its archives include Resource Centers on Comparative and Foreign Law, International Law, Search Engines, and State and Federal Legislation, with over 1,400 browsable and searchable sources for state and federal court rules, forms and dockets, and a wide range of resources related to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

References

  1. ↑ "eResources Portal launched in both languages". Latest News. Knowledge Ontario. September 2, 2010. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  2. ↑ Bedard, Diane (November 2010). "KO eResources Portal: Bringing it all Together" (PDF). The Teaching Librarian. Ontario Library Association. 18 (1): 19. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Larry Moore Distinguished Service Award: Michael Ridley" (PDF). Access OLA. Ontario Library Association. 14 (3): 17. Spring 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  4. 1 2 "OLA President's Award for Exceptional Achievement: Knowledge Ontario" (PDF). Access OLA. Ontario Library Association. 14 (3): 18. Spring 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  5. ↑ "OLITA Award for Technological Innovation 2008". Ontario Library and Information Technology Association. OLITA. 2008. Archived from the original on December 13, 2010. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  6. ↑ "The Canadian Library Association Announces Winner of the CLA/Information Today Award for Innovative Technology". Canadian Library Association. CLA. May 7, 2010. Archived from the original on August 14, 2011. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Featuring the Community IT Hero Award finalists". Information Technology Association of Canada. ITAC. August 2010. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Award for special achievement". Ontario School Library Association. OLA. Archived from the original on November 20, 2010. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Full Speed Ahead at KO" (PDF). Access OLA. Ontario Library Association. 14 (3): 47–48. Spring 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Ask Ontario". Knowledge Ontario. Archived from the original on March 23, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  11. ↑ Panjwani, Radhika (January 11, 2011). "When in Doubt, askON". Brampton Guardian. Brampton, Ontario: Metroland. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  12. 1 2 Oder, Norman (July 19, 2008). "BiblioCommons Emerges: 'Revolutionary'; Social Discovery System for Libraries". Library Journal. Media Source Inc. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
  13. ↑ Hutchinson, Alex (October 2009). "Biblio Tech: The public library takes browsing back from Chapters". The Walrus. The Walrus Foundation. Archived from the original on December 1, 2010. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
  14. ↑ Hollett, Jennifer (July 8, 2008). "Turning the Page on Books". Globe and Mail. Phillip Crawley. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  15. ↑ Bedard, Diane (November 2010). "Introducing: LearnOntario.ca" (PDF). The Teaching Librarian. Ontario Library Association. 18 (1): 18–19. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Our Ontario: About". Knowledge Ontario. Archived from the original on April 13, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  17. ↑ Tallyn, Lisa (January 24, 2011). "Libraries Launch Digital Newspaper Archive". Inside Halton. Halton, Ontario: Metroland. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Our Ontario Toolkit Services". Knowledge Ontario. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
  19. ↑ Ballingal, Alex (March 12, 2011). "Ontario's history goes digital: Project allows libraries to upload people's memorabillia". Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Postmedia Network. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
  20. ↑ Browne, Lois (June 2011). "Digital Research just got a lot Easier in Ontario". Professionally Speaking. The Ontario College of Teachers. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
  21. ↑ "Resource Ontario: About". Knowledge Ontario. Archived from the original on March 22, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  22. ↑ "eResources Portal: About". Knowledge Ontario. Archived from the original on April 11, 2011. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  23. ↑ "Funders & Partners". Knowledge Ontario. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  24. ↑ "Knowledge Ontario Board of Directors". Knowledge Ontario. Archived from the original on March 21, 2011. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  25. ↑ "Wendy Newman". University of Toronto Faculty of Information. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  26. ↑ Newman, Wendy (2008). The Newman Report: Third Generation Public Libraries (PDF) (Report). Ontario Ministry of Culture. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.