Canadians will soon be able to search the collections of all of Ottawa’s libraries under a new plan unveiled by Industry Canada.
Not only will users be able to search through all of the city’s public libraries under the Smart Library Portal initiative, but they will also be able to access the National Library of Canada as well as the libraries of the University of Ottawa, Carleton University and the National Research Council.
“Here we have federal, municipal and educational institutions working together to create smart, seamless access to information resources for everyone… across the country,” said Ottawa Mayor Bob Chiarelli.
The portal, to be launched this summer, is one of 13 projects under the SmartCapital initiative. SmartCapital is one of 12 projects across the country funded by Industry Canada’s Smart Communities Program.
The SmartCapital project received $4.5 million in funds from the Government of Canada. Local partners have also contributed a considerable portion of funding, bringing SmartCapital’s total budget to $12 million.
For the Smart Library Portal, the Ottawa Public Library, the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation, the National Library of Canada, the University of Ottawa, Carleton University and the National Research Council provided a matching contribution.