The essential nature of writing is that it communicates knowledge beyond the lifetime of any individual.
From the days of Alexandria on, the essential nature of a library has always been that it preserves writing for future generations.
That's why my father, a co-founder and early chancellor of Brock University, quoted Stephen Leacock to argue, successfully, that the first building to be built to found the new university be the library.
Some of the past library role of presenting today's writing has been taken over by the internet. Providing access to the internet is indeed a natural role for libraries today. So is hosting or encouraging activities that spread the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of writing.
The Ottawa library is doing an excellent job of presenting writing across our extended city despite the caprices of pre-amalgamation boundaries. It has failed totally at preservation.
When I came to Ottawa in 1966, the Carnegie Library had rooms full of irreplaceable books entrusted by Ottawans to be preserved for future generations. Two specific examples:
As a musician, I discovered with awe shelves full of books such as Leopold Auer describing how he had taught Jascha Heifetz, Mischa Elman discussing his approach to the Mendelssohn violin concerto, and such.I got about a quarter of the way through the music books, eyes and ears open the whole time.My grandfather sailed on the Cutty Sark. The OPL collection of books on international square rig ships and Nova Scotia schooners was exceptional.
Then came the visit I can never forget: row upon row of empty shelves.
The OPL had decided to transform into a community center in preparation for the demolishing of the Carnegie Building and a move to another location.
I never found out what had happened to those shelves of books entrusted to the Library. I was unable to find any that I remembered at local used book stores when I tried to buy some of them to preserve myself, or any proprietor who knew where they ended up.
I've never been back to the library since.
Fast forward to 2025
The OPL is now to partner with Library and Archives Canada at a new branch to be called Ādisōke, 'story telling' in Algonquin. Their brochures exclaim: learn to cook at the Café, record your own music, make videos, stage theatre productions, buy things at a gift shop, join spaces for Indigenous communities ... I suppose there will be a few books somewhere.
At least it's still free, physically and intellectually. That's about all that's left of Andrew Carnegie's legacy.
Both Library and Archives Canada have long had a policy that the last copy of a document is never disposed of. Our new Ottawa library should also adopt that policy. Better late than never.
Books less used would be in the catalogue, and would be requested as books can now be requested from other branches. However, they would be kept in inexpensive back storage rather than the prime real estate of active library shelves, or microfilmed so that a much lower activity level would suffice to justify their retention.
By concentrating on the unique role of a library, the preservation of writing for all, the OPL would be positioned to carry on the essential value of libraries into the future for all of us. Sadly, it has refused to do so, preferring instead to continue to compete with our community centers.