Oct 26, 2020
October is Library Month in Canada, and while we would normally celebrate this fantastic month together with our friends at the Ottawa Public Library (OPL), the new realities we all find ourselves facing have made celebrating together this year difficult.
However, just because we can’tbetogether in our favourite OPL branches doesn’t mean we can’t all take up the mission of kindness that OPL is promotingfor Library Month this year! We are all capable of spreading kindness in our communities in a safe wayevery day.
As the Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association, or FOPLA, we like to think we know a little bit about spreading kindness. There’sno better mission the Ottawa Public Librarycould undertake for Library Month 2020 than encouraging us to be kind to others and ourselves.
Public libraries are a hallmark of kindness in and of themselves; places where expression, accessibility, equity, and learning are valuedevery day.In toughtimes like we’refacing now, the value of institutions like public libraries become more important than ever. We certainly know how lucky we are to have the Ottawa Public Library as part of our community.
There are so many reasons to spread kindness right now (and always), as everyone is facing different challenges. Luckily, OPL has already done the legwork for us and put together an amazing calendar of ways to be kind to the people around you. Some great ideas include:
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Thank a store employee
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Clean a shared space
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Share helpful information
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Rest and be kind to yourself
These are just a few examples, so make sure you pick up a copy of the Ottawa Public Library’s Kindness Calendar the next time you visit your local branch. It will give you more great ideas on how you can participate in this virtual 2020 Library Month challengenow and all year long.
Happy Library Month, Ottawa!
From your friends,
The Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association
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We’ll get through this together by staying strong and wise, and our daily quotient of kindness with these uplifting reads for a Library Month celebrating kindness: