This branch of the Ottawa Public Library is located at Ben Franklin Place, a beautiful building in…read moreCentrepointe. As Darren mentioned, this place is super helpful for Algonquin Students, which was why I ended up there in the first place - but not for the reason you might think! I needed to find a location for a photography assignment and my professor suggested Ben Franklin Place. "Really? A library?" was my first thought. Never doubt your photography teacher. This place is beautiful - a little oasis in the heart of Nepean. The building itself is beautiful, but the landscaping is fantastic (yes, I'll get to the books, I promise). There's a huge fountain that's turned into a skating rink in the winter, a lovely garden with beautiful flowers and plants and a shaded seating area. This first time I didn't even make it inside! I now visit this library every Saturday where I tutor a six year-old. Their children's section is outstanding - sweet librarians like you read about in books, a massive selection of books and crayons and colouring pages to keep little ones busy. The library also offers a ton of services for job seekers, new Canadians and those interested in learning about computers. The book selection is fantastic, and I love that you can rent e-books online. If you're looking for a quiet spot to study, a playgroup for the little ones or a place to learn something new be sure to drop by. The building also houses the Centrepointe Theatre, tons of meeting space and a beautiful inside fountain (you know, in case you need to make a wish). Happy reading Yelpers!

Great selection, friendly staff. Love the fact they're ope 7 days a week, just wish they had…read morelonger hours on Sundays!

Very small, but busy library. This Rosemount branch is the oldest Ottawa Public Library branch…read morestill operating in its original building (which was built in 1918!) It did undergo renovations in 2021 though. It has a modern-looking entrance, but most of the library is still classic-looking. It has big glass windows and let's in lots of natural light. This library accepts used batteries for recycling. The recycling container is a long cylinder and it's located to the right when you enter the building. I almost missed it the first time I was looking for it. I was expecting a big box like at places like Lowe's or Home Depot, but it's a small-ish cylinder. Great neighbourhood library! (39)

This is my local OPL branch and even though it's small, it's still one if my favourite spots in the…read moreneighbourhood. The area immediately surrounding the library is currently under renovation which makes it a tad noisy, but that will be done in the coming months. There's a decent collection at this branch and I can almost always get a recent DVD or museum pass from the Express section. Jennifer, the librarian is great, as are all the staff that I've interacted with. They offer lots of programs, including baby, toddler and family storytime programs for kids that I have been bringing my son to for years. It's a great activity for the kids and a nice way to meet some other parents in the neighbourhood.

I think I've been spoiled with having the Centrepointe Library so close to me the last few years…read more When I came to this library in Orleans, I expected more, and unfortunately I wasn't blown away. I realize not every library can boast water installations, an awesome kids floor and everything, but this place was pretty lackluster. Don't get me wrong - this place is what you'd expect from a typical library, I suppose. It just seems a bit dated to me, and the staff weren't exceptionally friendly (which I find really odd, as every other library has amazing staff!). I asked an older lady at the help desk if I could borrow her scissors for a moment, and she glared at me and said "you may use my scissors if you use them right here in front of me." Really? Do I look like I'm going to steal you scissors lady? A bit silly, I think. This place was quite busy on a Saturday afternoon - lots of children (which resulted in a not-so-quiet atmosphere at times, but hey, they're kids!). We found a quiet corner to do some reading/work. They do have individual desk-cubicles for those who are studying, which is great. I also noticed a section of used books for sale, initiated by the "friends of the Orleans library" group. They have audiobooks here, as well as movie rentals, which is nice. They don't have the greatest selection though. I'd maybe search online if you're looking for a specific title. One of my favourite things? They have an awesome magazine selection! Forget buying them anymore, they stock a huge selection here, all bound monthly. There were quite a few people relaxing with a magazine or newspaper, and it's good to see the library is still being used. Note: You need an Ottawa Public Library Card to use their wifi.

The most popular tourist spot in Ottawa, Parliament hill has a magnificent walking pathway in front…read moreof the Parliament house that starts from the Fairmont Chateau Hotel, through Centennial Flame and House of Commons and ends at Confederation building. A lot of the prettiness has been hindered by the on going renovation construction work at the Parliament house. Yes the area is maintained beautifully, all grass are trimmed, flower and gardens are picturesque. At the corner, there's a lookout area that overlooks the city of Gatineau, Quebec, across Ottawa river. There are restrooms under the lookout pavement. Lots of security personnel are assigned to keep the whole place safe and organized.

Amazing hill of the Parliament Buildings. Wonderful architecture. It was amazing to tour the…read moreinterim House of Commons on West Block. Looking forward to coming back when the construction is complete.

This is my usual location for the Ottawa Public Library and have had a great experience here. Love…read morebeing able to put holds on books and have them delivered here for pickup. Relatively small library but with the holds, you can get any book you want. Often wait times can be quite long for books so it can be tough if you want to read something more urgently. High tech checkout self service computers. Staff are super friendly and helpful! So happy to have access to this great place

This is the library I frequent most. True, it's the closest one to me, but it doesn't hurt that it…read morehas a quaint location next to the Rideau Canal with a flower garden along the front. The Sunnyside location is small and I sometimes run into problems with getting available copies of certain books without having to resort to interlibrary loans. However, I've also found some great titles here, including fiction, non-fiction and films. I also enjoy that books can be renewed online if you're having troubles finishing that last book before the deadline. I just have two big beefs with this branch. It seems no one enforces the time limit on the computers. So if you go and all the computers are in use, you may be waiting a long time. I waited until closing one time when my Internet was down at home; needless to say, I didn't get a computer. Second beef: the staff is almost always grumpy. I've gone here many times so I find this track record weird. I've even had some of them pretend they didn't hear me when I was asking for help. Honestly, it's the worst I've ever seen to the point it's funny. But this is still a great spot. Come down and snuggle up with a book in a comfy chair by their big windows that face the canal.

This library is attached to the Greenboro Community Centre. It's extremely convenient for children,…read morestudents, and all members of the community. It has both an automated express check-out and a book-drop outside of the building. The library is two floors, with stairs, elevators, and numerous exits. They have private "quiet" rooms for reading or tutoring, meeting rooms, tables for studying and group work, little desks and chairs for individual reading, and even computer labs on both floors for Internet browsing and looking up book locations. Like other libraries, it has sections for books, videos, CDS and audio, and even a childrens section for group readings. The selection of books is actually quite large, especially considering the size of the library is no where near that of the Ottawa Public Library downtown. It's also very modernly designed, but still carpeted and not cold or stuffy in any way. If you're in the South Keys/Hunt Club area, it would definitely be a great resource for you and your children.

I was looking for a new place to study near me and decided to check out the Greenboro District…read moreLibrary. The library is attached to the Community Centre so there were quite a few people there. Despite the foot traffic, the library was pretty quiet, which I really appreciated. The space is actually pretty big and had nice big desks on the second floor. They also have designated quiet rooms and lots of computers. I will most likely come back here to study!!

Nice place overall. Not a welcoming entrance, but once you're past that it's very welcoming. Very…read moremuch a "find it for yourself" feel, rather than help you find what you need. However I'm sure if you ask, you'll be helped. Incredibly quiet, especially for the number of people in the building. Every floor is silent. There's big open seating areas as well as many computers and chromebooks to loan (in library only).

This library is huge! I used to love coming here as a child for storytelling in the children's…read moresection. Now, as an adult, it's kind of like a candy store for those that love to read. They have 3 levels of pretty much any kind of reading and research materials that you would need, including maps, academic journals, public records, dictionaries, encyclopedias, historical/special collections, fiction/non-fiction, children's books, comics, and audio tapes/CDs and videos. There is plenty of tables and seating for reading and studying, computer stations for Internet browsing and catalogue searching, and even a small coffee and tea shop with very reasonable prices. The library is fully accessible and easy to navigate around, and they have the most helpful staff. The 24-hour book drop and the fact that they take Interac are extremely convenient. The only problem I ran into was trying to get a library card. They have separate desks just to sign up for a library card, but they wouldn't let me because my ID didn't have an Ottawa address on it. I had just moved here and they were asking me for utility bills or a tenant's agreement, which, of course, I didn't have on-hand. So I decided to just sit and read inside the library, and before I knew it, I ended up spending hours there!

Looking for an eclectic little nook with stacks of books, great coffee and a varied customer base?…read moreHere it is! Definitely a spot for book lovers visiting the area.

I stopped here one afternoon looking to kill some time between work and night class. There was…read moreample seating and really cute ambiance. Black squirrel is a used (with some new) and very carefully curated bookstore with two levels of exploring to do. At the front of the shop is an espresso bar that offers lots of tasty treats and alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages. I got a oat milk cappuccino and a small chocolate mint cookie. The cookie was only 1$ and so tasty, like an elevated and adult girl guide cookie!! Excellent prices and kind service. This will be my new go to when I have some time in Ottawa South.

I didn't even know this library was here until I moved into the community. I love it because it is…read moreso quaint and almost hidden among the trees. Though this small library obviously doesn't have the ample selection that other branches in Ottawa do, you can easily order in books. But the vibe of this library more than makes up for that fact. Here you feel like you are in a small town library, where you can get individual attention and bring your kids to stay for a while. There is a meeting room here too and there are often activities or meetings going on. Because of it's size, there are often stacks of books on the front desk or a line up to check out books, but that is all part of this library's charm. The hours vary to allow those who work, or those who stay at home to have time to stop by. I'm proud to call this my home branch!