Online Resources

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

Displaying 1 - 12 of 31
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  • 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
  • Research

    Britannica Library

    Offers access to Encyclopedia articles, images, audio files and videos, biographies, a country comparison tool, and a world atlas. Includes Britannica Library Children, Britannica Library Young Adult and Britannica Library reference center.

    The double-click dictionary, powered by Merriam-Webster, is available on most content-based pages in Britannica’s site, including search results, articles, and content browses.

    Content Language
    English
    Help Guide(s)
    Help Guide
    Privacy and Terms of Use
    Privacy Policy
    Terms of Use
  • Research

    Britannica Library for Kids

    Access thousands of articles that cover subjects for school and fun, from nations of the world to animals and sports.

    Content Language
    English
  • Research

    Canada's Information Resource Centre

    A virtual who's who and what's where in Canada. Canada’s Information Resource Centre now provides online access to four titles that we currently have in our collection:

    • Canadian Almanac and Directory

    The Almanac section has its own pages and is searchable along with the directory.

    • Associations Canada

    Introductory material is only available in PDF, the other content is searchable from the search fields.

    • Canadian Parliamentary Guide

    Introductory material is only available in PDF, the other content can be searched by various fields.

    • Canadian Who’s Who

    It has its own search screen. Please just click on the title and it will take you to the search screen.

     

    Since all those four printed titles are for in-library use only, this online remote access will provide a convenient option to access a diverse array of virtual who’s who and what’s where in Canada

    This online access is for a single-user license. If you have trouble logging on you may wish to try again later

     

     

    Content Language
    English
  • Research

    Canadian Encyclopedia

    This encyclopedia includes over 40,000 articles and 60,000 photographs, as well as maps, graphs, games, quizzes and videos. Updated regularly, it contains The Encylopedia of Canada, The Youth Encyclopedia of Canada. (in English only) The Encyclopedia of Music in Canada, Feature articles on different subjects, MacLean’s Magazine articles and The Timeline of Canadian History.

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

    Canadian Major Dailies_ProQuest (Formerly Canadian Newsstand)

    This full-text database includes the complete available electronic backfiles for major national and regional newspapers from 1985 to current, providing full access to the articles, columns, editorials, and features. Content is updated daily.  Among the titles are The Globe and Mail, National Post, Montreal Gazette, Ottawa Citizen, Toronto Star, Regina Leader Post, Edmonton Journal, Vancouver Sun and the Victoria Times Colonist.  The Globe and Mail backfile coverage starts in 1977.

    Full text remote access for Globe & Mail is available here.

    • Login to Canadian Major Dailies_ProQuest
    • Click on Publications located on the top bar of the page
    • Type Globe and Mail in the search box
    • Click on the search results for The Globe and Mail (Jan. 1, 2020 – present)
    • Browse specific issues
    Content Language
    English
    Privacy and Terms of Use
    Privacy Policy
    Terms of Use
  • Research

    Canadiana

    This bilingual online resource offers historical content about Canada from the first European settlers to the early 20th century. This includes digitized books, magazines and government documents and spans 21 languages.

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

    Consumer Reports

    ConsumerReports.org provides unbiased ratings and reviews, recommendations and buying advice from expert Consumer Reports’ testers for thousands of products and services such as cars, electronics, appliances, and more. Frequently updated articles, blogs and video content allow consumers to find the latest consumer news — such as product recalls.

    Articles from the CR current issue, archives from 2012 to 2022,  and a five-year Index are all available.

    Content Language
    English
    Help Guide(s)
    Articles from Current Magazine Issue
    Magazine Archive from 2012 to 2022
    Past five-year Index
    Privacy and Terms of Use
    Privacy Policy
    Terms of Use
  • Research

    Dictionary of Canadian Biography

    Use the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online to review the lives and achievements of individuals who played important roles in the formation of Canada.  This major research and publishing project was launched by the University of Toronto and the Université Laval in 1959, and currently covers persons who died between the years 1000 and 1930, or whose last known date of significant activity falls within these years.

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

    Eureka.cc

    The database allows searchable access to full articles, columns and features from the major French-Canadian newspapers and certain magazines such as Protégez-vous and L`Actualité. News sources include full-text articles from Le Droit, Le Devoir, La Presse, Le Soleil and SRC radio and television. About 20 small Ontario dailies are also included among other French and English language newspapers from across Canada.

    Content Language
    French
    Privacy and Terms of Use
    Politique de confidentialité
  • 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
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