Dive into the fascinating world of typography with Chris Taylor, President of the Ottawa PC Users’ Group. Chris will demystify the terminology of typography and explore its rich history. Learn what makes a typeface readable or distracting, how to effectively combine multiple typefaces, and the emotions different fonts can evoke.

Whether your next project is to make a greeting card, poster, newsletter, business card, or anything else that incorporates text, gain insights on avoiding common typographic pitfalls. Practical tips will be shared, including choosing the right typeface, and techniques for creating visually appealing and readable text. For the design novice or seasoned pro, this presentation will enhance your appreciation and understanding of typography’s powerful impact.

If you plan to attend, please register to ensure the program is presented.

Ink is our primal medium. It has always been with us, inscribing the evolution of humanity. The Colour of Ink uncovers the medium’s mystery and power through the eyes of Jason Logan, a visionary Toronto inkmaker. Working with ingredients foraged in the wild—weeds, berries, bark, flowers, rocks, rust—he makes ink from just about anything. Jason sends custom-made inks to an eclectic range of artists around the world, from a New Yorker cartoonist to a Japanese calligrapher. As the inks take on a life of their own, his playful alchemy paints a story of colour that reconnects us to the earth and returns us to a childlike sense of wonder. 

2022. 105 minutes. English, Spanish, and Japanese with English subtitles. 
Courtesy of the National Film Board. 

Drop-in

Are you a new library user and want to learn about what we offer at the Ottawa Public Library? Have you been an OPL member for years, but want to learn more about our collections, services, and programs? Join us to discover what you can access at your local library branch, and have a chance at winning some OPL merch! Registration encouraged but drop-ins always welcome.

Come screen some short Halloween films with us.  Popcorn will be served.  Presentation courtesy of the National Film Board.  For ages 13 +

A Little Craving:  In this surrealist stop-motion animation, two disembodied wigs give in to their desires and grow themselves into something a little more whole. Produced as part of the 10th edition of the NFB’s Hothouse apprenticeship. (duration 1 minute)

Land of the Heads:  This animated short tells the tale of a vampire forced go out every night to separate children from their heads. The reason? His vain wife wants to replace her wrinkled head with one that is young and pretty. What a horror! Especially since the lady of the house is never satisfied and the heads keep piling up on the floor. How will our reluctant vampire ever get out of this vicious cycle? (duration 6 minutes)

Subservience:  In this animated short, the selfishness of the bourgeoisie and the oppression and exploitation of its servants take centre stage as a puppet show presents the tragicomedy of a society in its death throes. (duration 8 minutes)

The Subject:  An animator dissects his own body, extracting memories, emotions and fears that will nurture his work. As he cuts into his skin with a scalpel, various symbolic objects recalling his past emerge. Reaching the heart after cracking his ribs, he succeeds in identifying the burden he’s been dying to cast off. (duration 10 minutes)

Madame Tutli-Putli: This stop-motion animated film takes viewers on an exhilarating existential journey into the fully imagined, tactile world of Madame Tutli-Putli. As she travels alone on the night train, weighed down with all her earthly possessions and the ghosts of her past, she faces both the kindness and menace of strangers. Finding herself caught up in a desperate metaphysical adventure, adrift between real and imagined. (duration 17 minutes)

The Brainwashers: In this animated short, two chimney sweepers clear all the memories from their victim's brain in a quest to determine what goes on in a man's head. A chilling film filled with fearsome puppets inhabiting a world of strange objects. (duration 12 minutes)

Afterlife: This animated short film attempts to answer the eternal questions, What is dying? and How does it feel? Based on recent studies, case histories and some of the ancient myths, the afterlife state is portrayed as an awesome but methodical working-out of all the individual's past experiences. Film without words. (duration 7 minutes)