Online Resources

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

Displaying 1 - 11 of 11
  • Read

    Hill Times

    The Hilltimes.com – Canada’s political and government news service

    Customers can access PDF versions of Ottawa's own twice-weekly newspaper, as well as previous, achieved issues back to 2004, or download and print a copy.  They can also search articles dating back to 1989, and access PDF versions of the Embassy Archives from 2004 to 2016. The Hill Times absorbed Embassy magazine and doubled its print edition to be twice-a-week starting from April 2016.

    In addition to the digital edition of the Hill Times, there will be full access to HillTimes.com for daily updated breaking exclusive stories and in-depth articles about the people, the policies, and the politics that make the news. Enjoy a diversity of opinions and points of view, from various political angles.

    Both In-library and unlimited simultaneous remote access from home are available.

    The Hill Times is independently owned and based in Ottawa. Their website states that they are independent and non-partisan. Articles are written by well-respected journalists.

    Content Language
    English
  • Watch

    Hoopla

    This digital media service provides customers access to motion picture films, television shows, complete music albums, graphic novels & comics, and BingePasses. The collection includes current and past hits, as well as classics. There is a variety of genres to choose from, with something for all ages. Let's be connected, inspired, and entertained together every day!

    • The collection is not permanent – titles get pulled and new content is added all the time.
    • Customers can stream or temporarily download up to 4 titles per month per card. The download feature is available exclusively on mobile devices, through the app.
    • The borrowing period for movie and TV content is between 48-72 hours (2-3 days), music albums (considered as one item) are 7 days, and comics collection is 21 days.
    • Titles are available instantly with no holds, waitlists, or late fees.
    • Borrowed titles are automatically returned following the borrowing period.
    • Hoopla is accessible from your computer, laptop, or wireless device.
    • Customers must register for an account with an email address and a valid OPL card number, in order to access the service.
    • The data used to stream Hoopla from the Internet at home or from your mobile device will count towards your Internet service provider’s monthly bandwidth cap. Watching a regular-length movie uses about 1GB of data for each stream of standard definition video. Streaming an album uses about 35 MB of data.

    Due to rising costs from increased usage and higher prices per item, we’re adjusting Hoopla’s borrowing limits to ensure sustainable access for all clients.

    Now, the monthly credit for Hoopla has been  reduced from 6 to 4 credits per month.

    By popular request, hoopla is now available on Android Auto! Listen to music more safely and easily using your vehicle's in-dash display.

    There are two types of BingePass available on Hoopla now. Each checkout of an individual BingePass offers Unlimited Streaming for 7 days with a single borrow

    • The Great Courses BingePass: Gain access to hundreds of popular online courses from leading experts and professors. The robust platform includes courses on language, history, travel, fitness, nutrition, personal and professional development, and more.
    • Curiosity Stream BingePass: Access thousands of High-quality and engaging documentaries, films, shows, and series covering science, nature, travel, history, and more. Curiosity Stream has something for everyone - including an entire Curiosity KIDS collection tailored for younger learners

     

     

     

     

  • Research

    OPL Mobile

    All catalogue features are available via OPL's free apps:

    • Search for items and use geo-locator to find the closest location
    • Manage your account, renew items, place holds and view what you have checked out
    • Browse recent arrivals and read what others are saying
    Content Language
    Bilingual
  • Read

    Ottawa Citizen

    A searchable archive of 30 days which is part of the database Library PressDisplay.  Articles can be translated into German, Greek, Spanish or French. The viewer can also listen to individual articles in any of these languages. To access articles published more than 30 days ago, search the Canadian Newsstand database.

    Content Language
    English
  • Research

    Ottawa Citizen - ProQuest Historical Newspapers (1845 - 2010)

    This digitized full-images archives of the Ottawa Citizen provides genealogists, researchers and general public with online, easily-searchable first-hand accounts and unparalleled coverage of the politics, society and events of the time.

    This will allow Ottawans to digitally travel back through the centuries to become eyewitnesses to our local history.

    Coverage is from 1845 to 2010, but you can access more recent full text content from September 1985 until now from Canadian Major Dailies ProQuest (Formerly Canadian Newsstand).

    Content Language
    English
  • Read

    Overdrive Magazines (Formerly RBDigital Unlimited Magazines -Zinio)

    A package of over 3,000 popular titles (including Canadian Living, National Geographic, The New Yorker, and many more) with varieties of languages and up to three years of back issues are now available for unlimited simultaneous access with no circulation caps.

    Our online eMagazine provider OverDrive couldn’t make an agreement with The Economist. As a result, all editions of the Economist, as well as all back issues, are no longer available to clients effective February 1, 2023.

    We apologize for the inconvenience and invite you to check out the print edition of The Economist that is available at some of our OPL branches. Please search for “The Economist” from our online catalog for more information.

    Full-text remote access to The Economist is available from the following two databases:

    • Gale Academic OneFile, and
    • Gale OneFiile: Business
  • Research

    Oxford English Dictionary

    600,000 words … 3.5 million quotations … over 1000 years of English

    The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is widely acknowledged to be the most authoritative and comprehensive record of the English language in the world. It is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of 600,000 words— past and present—from across the English-speaking world.

    As a historical dictionary, the OED is very different from dictionaries of current English, in which the focus is on present-day meanings. You’ll not only find present-day meanings in the OED, but also you’ll find the history of individual words, and of the language—traced through 3.5 million quotations, over 100 years of English.

    Every three months the OED Online database is updated.

    Content Language
    English
  • Research

    Reference Solutions (Formerly Reference Canada)

    Reference Solutions is a provider of business and consumer research.

    There are several databases to search:

    Canadian Businesses: A directory of 2.3 million Canadian businesses

    U.S.Jobs/Internships: 2.5 Million Job Postings

    Canadian White Pages: 11 million Canadian households. Records are 100% publicly sourced to comply with Canadian privacy laws.

    Content Language
    English
  • Learn

    Road to IELTS - Academic Module

    The Road to IELTS - Academic module provides an introduction, advice and tutorials, as well as interactive practices and simulated mock tests. These will help people prepare for the IELTS academic exam for higher education or professional registration in an English-speaking environment.   

    See the IELTS Academic syllabus for detailed information.

    The OPL also offers the IELTS General Training Module.

    The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is the world’s most popular English language test for higher education and global migration. 

    There are two types of IELTS test: the IELTS Academic and the IELTS General Training.

    Both tests provide an assessment of four language skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking.

    The IELTS Academic measures whether your level of English language proficiency is suitable for an academic environment or professional registration. It reflects aspects of academic language and assesses whether you’re ready to begin studying or training.

    Content Language
    English
  • Learn

    Road to IELTS - General Training Module

    The Road to IELTS- General Training module provides an introduction, advice and tutorial, as well as interactive practices and simulated mock tests. These will help people prepare General Training test for immigration, secondary education, work experience or training programs in English speaking countries.

    You can run the program on mobile as well as tablet, desktop and laptop. 

    See the IELTS General Training syllabus for detailed information.

    OPL also offers the Academic Module.

     

    The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is the world’s most popular English language test for higher education and global migration purposes. 

    There are two types of IELTS test: the IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training.

    Both tests provide an assessment of four language skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking.

    The IELTS General Training measures English language proficiency in a practical, everyday context. The test focuses on basic survival skills in broad social and workplace contexts.

    The IELTS is also a requirement for migration to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. 

    Content Language
    English