Online Resources

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

Displaying 1 - 10 of 10
  • 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
  • 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.

    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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Learn

    Learning Express Library

    LearningExpress Library Canada includes academic skill-building, test preparation and career-related resources all in one easy-to-use online platform. Organized into targeted learning centers, this all-in-one resource supports those looking to improve core academic skills, pass English proficiency tests or the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), prepare for college, join the military or RCMP Police Aptitude Test (RPAT), obtain occupational certification, find a job, change careers, become a Canadian citizen, and much more. Learning centers contain practice tests, interactive tutorials, e-books, articles and flashcards.

    Content Language
    English
  • Learn

    LinkedIn Learning for Library

    LinkedIn Learning for Library is an upgrade to the previous Lynda Library product, providing continued lifelong learning opportunities for all of our Clients.

    Over 16,000 video tutorial courses led by experts in Business, Creative, and Technology. Some tutorials are available in English, French, German, Japanese, Mandarin, Portuguese, and Spanish.

    Customers will now have access to the following:

    1. Engaging content for every customer, with over 16,000 courses in 7 different languages
    2. A simple, time-saving login flow for customers that only requires a library card number and PIN, without the need for a LinkedIn profile
    3. An updated, easy-to-use, intuitive interface
    4. Previous course history from Lynda.com
    • From March 31st, 2022, any clients who have not yet logged into LinkedIn Learning for Library will not have their Lynda history migrated over.
    • The LinkedIn Learning mobile application is now available for library clients. After downloading it from the app store, They will select Sign in with their library card to log in. 
      Enter the "library ID" as "ottawa" after www.linkedin.com/learning-login/go/ and then click Continue and enter the library card # and PIN
    • For course completions, the clients will see the course completions in their history and get a certificate, however, their  Personal Identifier Information (PII) will not appear on the certificate. i.e. clients will not get a certificate in their name,
    • The library version of LinkedIn Learning can’t connect with the client's personal LinkedIn account.
    Content Language
    English
  • 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
  • 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

       

     

  • 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