Online Resources

Use our free online resources for consumer research, online classes, language learning, newspaper reading and more.

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  • Watch

    Access Video on Demand

    Access Video on Demand is a streaming video platform with a focus on educational films. The collection includes 41,213 videos, 331,668 video segments and 1,094 subject categories. The topics range from Arts and Humanities, Business and Economics, Science, Mathematics and Technology, Social Sciences, Careers and Trades, Health and Wellness, Home and Family, and Archival films and newsreels. Many popular documentaries originally produced for National Geographic, HBO, PBS, BBC, TED Talks, Nova, Rick Steves’ Europe, Scientific American, and more are included. Closed-captioning and interactive transcripts are available on many titles. Customers need a valid OPL card in order to access the service. Engage, inform, and entertain with its vivid and appealing new design of Access Video On Demand! Includes unlimited, simultaneous usage; in-library use and remote access.

    Content Language
    English
    Help Guide(s)
    Access Video On Demand Support
    Privacy and Terms of Use
    Privacy Policy
    Terms of Use
  • Research

    Ancestry Library

    A collection of thousands of individual genealogy databases from many different institutions. It includes American, Canadian and U.K. sources as well as some for Australia, New Zealand and Europe. Canadian coverage includes major sources such as the censuses from 1851 to 1916, Ontario civil registration of births, marriages and deaths, and the Quebec Drouin Collection (courthouse copies of parish registers). German records include passenger lists for many people leaving Eastern Europe. New databases are constantly being added.  Many of the sources are digitized.  Bring a USB flash drive to download your records.

    Ancestry Library: available for in-library use only

    Important Notice: You can access Ancestry Library Edition in our library branches through desktop computers provided by our library or your own personal laptop, tablet, or mobile phone. (Remote access is not supported.) 

    Content Language
    English
    Privacy and Terms of Use
    Privacy Policy
    Terms of Use
  • Learn

    AtoZ World Food

    Learn more about food in history and culture while discovering thousands of traditional recipes from 174 countries.

    AtoZ World Food features:

    • 6,500 + Recipes
    • 750 + World Beer Reviews
    • 13,000 + High Quality photos
    • 500 + Ingredient Articles
    • 850 + Future Culture Articles
    • 6 Food Glossaries
    • Personal Recipe Book

     

    Content Language
    English
    Privacy and Terms of Use
    Privacy Policy
  • Listen

    Audiobook Cloud

    A large assortment of streaming audiobooks that are always available. Includes fiction and nonfiction material for both adults and children.

    Content Language
    English
    Privacy and Terms of Use
    Privacy Policy
    Terms of Use
  • Research

    FamilySearch Affiliate Library

    FamilySearch is the largest genealogy organization in the world sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history.

    Ottawa Public Library is now a FamilySearch Affiliate Library, this designation means library clients will now have greater and more convenient access to the wealth of genealogical resources available through FamilySearch at our 33 branches.

    Benefits of an Affiliate Library

    • Due to contractual obligations, some images are only viewable online through FamilySearch centers and Affiliate Libraries
    • Through the affiliate program, OPL customers have access to over 350 million additional records that are otherwise restricted

    This resource is available for in-library use only.

    Please note that each individual client must log into FamilySearch using their own unique username and password. There is no institutional login. 

     

    Beginning April 30, 2026, clients will be required to sign in to access the FamilySearch Catalog. To help prepare for this change, a notification banner has been added to the top of the FamilySearch Catalog landing page for clients who are not signed in.

    This update is being implemented as part of ongoing efforts to improve website security and ensure appropriate access to records.

    Content Language
    English
    Help Guide(s)
    Why do historical records have access limitations?
    What are the image restrictions in Historical Records?
    Affiliate Library Additional Resources
    Frequently asked questions
  • Read

    Flipster eMagazines

    Access today's edition of popular magazine titles including Maclean's, Scientific American, Time, People, and others.

    • If you are experiencing difficulty accessing magazines, please check "Tips on how to access magazines from Flipster" under our Help Guide
    • Starting from May 18, 2023, Forbes is available on the Flipster eMagazine Platform
    • Starting from Oct.1, 2022, seven new eMagazines will be added to the Flipster platform. They are Backcountry; Sports Illustrated, Travel & Leisure; Fine Woodworking; Fine Gardening, Threads & Fine Homebuilding.
    • Effective on Nov.1, 2022, the following three magazines : Azure ; Canadian House and Home, and Hello! Canada will be available on Overdrive Magazines Platform and no longer available on Flipster eMagazine Platform
    • Martha Stewart Living, Do It Yourself, and Rachael Ray in Seasons are discontinued on Flipster by the publisher.  However, some back issues are still available for you to view.
    • Effective on Nov.1, 2023, Black Girl Magazine and  Teen Black Girl Magazine are no longer available on Flipster eMagazine Platform.  However, some back issues are still available for you to view.
    • Beginning in July 2025, no new issues of Allrecipes magazine will be published, However, you will still have full access to all back issues.
    Content Language
    Bilingual
    Help Guide(s)
    Getting Started with Flipster
    Introducing the New Flipster User Interface
    Flipster Fundamentals
    Flipster Help
    Privacy and Terms of Use
    Privacy Policy
    Terms of Use
  • Research

    PRDH (Programme de recherche en démographie historique)

    Database containing a directory of civil status records (baptisms, marriages and burials) in Quebec (1621-1799), a genealogical dictionary of families (1621-1765) and a directory of couples and descendants. 

    Please log in to Genealogy Quebec separately if you would like to use materials linked to both databases.

    Content Language
    Bilingual
    Privacy and Terms of Use
    Terms of Use
  • Read

    PressReader

    Provides access to today’s newspapers and magazines from all over the world. Advanced features allow automated translation as well the ability to listen to articles. Canadian newspaper titles include the Ottawa Citizen, the Globe and Mail, National Post, Le Devoir, Le Journal de Montréal, and Toronto Star. Internationally you can read USA Today, The Wall Street Journal (USA), The Guardian (United Kingdom), Le Figaro (France), Izvestia (Russia) and Der Tagesspiegel (Germany). Popular magazines include Canadian Geographic, Maximum PC and Canada’s Style at Home.

    • Please be advised that there will be no August 2 issue for The Economist as per the publisher's notice. Regular uploads/issues will resume on August 9.
    • The PressReader App is not granting paid access to OPL customers at the moment. We hope to have the issue fixed as soon as possible. PressReader access via the website is still working normally.
    • You don’t need to create a separate PressReader account, without a PressReader account, you can still access any of the titles offered by Ottawa Public Library on PressReader.
    • All you need is a library card and a pin to sign in via a login page on the OPL website or PressReader App. That’s it!
    • Customers logged in through App need to re-authenticate after 30 days while Customers logged in through EzProxy (via library website) need to re-authenticate after 2 days
    • For the download storage, customers have the option to choose how long they wanted to keep the downloaded back issues.
    • The Wall Street Journal is now available from PressReader.,
    • Access to The Globe and Mail is limited to customers using PressReader in a library branch due to restrictions imposed by the publisher.
    • Full-text remote access for Globe & Mail is available from the following three databases: Canadian Major Dailies_ProQuest, Gale Academic Onefile & Gale  OneFiile: Business
    • The Washington Post is no longer available from the PressReader platform as per the publisher's request. However, full-text access for The Washington Post is available from our other two databases: Academic OneFile and Gale OneFile: Business. (delayed 1 day).
    • Los Angeles Times is no longer available from the PressReader platform as per the publisher's request.
    • PressReader stopped the distribution of Russian content, due to the decision of its upper management.

    • Libraries generally have 90 days of back issues. (Such as Toronto Star). There are, however, restrictions that are set by specific publishers on how far back issues are available.  In this case, the available back issue is different for each publication. Such as  The Globe and Mail only allows a maximum of 7 days back issues, while Ottawa Citizen and National Post allow up to 30 days. Other popular titles that are similar are The Guardian which only allows 14-day back issues and The Wall Street Journal only allows 2 days back issues

       

     

    Content Language
    English
    French
    Help Guide(s)
    How Do I Update My Library Card Number in Pressreader?
    PressReader App Guide
    List of Available Newspapers and Magazines
    PressReader Help Center
    Privacy and Terms of Use
    Privacy Policy
    Terms of Use
  • Learn

    Pronunciator

    Pronunciator is unique in offering personalized courses in any of 163 languages, and instruction in any of 144 home languages, ESL courses, audio lessons, American and Mexican Sign Languages. Pronunciator also includes ProCitizen, comprehensive preparation for the Canadian citizenship test. Users have unlimited, simultaneous, remote access.

    Note:

    Through the “Learning Guides and More” section in American English or Canadian English, respectively to access ProCitizen : US or ProCitizen: Canada

    • ProCitizen: Canada! With over 100 instructional videos, and over 500 practice questions, this course provides a comprehensive preparation for the Canadian Citizenship Test. Topics include Rights and Responsibilities; Canada's History; How Canadians Govern Themselves; Federal Elections; the Justice System; Canadian Symbols; Canada's Economy; Canada's Regions; and the Oath of Citizenship.

    Go Mobile The Pronunciator app is written in responsive HTML5, and can be used in any browser — even the browser in your mobile device.

    Content Language
    English
    Help Guide(s)
    Pronunciator Help Center
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