For most people who’ve grown up in Ottawa, trips to the public library were phased out after the age of eight when our parents stopped bringing us each weekend to pass the time. Now, a visit to the library is too often limited to the occasional frantic study session during a busy exam season.
In 2026, the Ottawa Public Library hopes to promote everything these spaces have to offer as they undergo a transformation. With the grand opening of the innovative central branch at Ādisōke in LeBreton Flats, the library aims to make an accessible communal space for recreation and research, with loads of free programming and cultural events
Many don’t view the public library as more than a place to check out books and study, but with 33 branches across the city and counting, the library has many hidden gems to offer.
Instruments for borrow
Picking up a new hobby, especially a musical instrument, can be harrowingly expensive and time consuming. For many, purchasing an instrument is inaccessible due to high costs, and nobody wants to drop hundreds of dollars and commit to an instrument that they are unsure about.
The OPL combats this issue by offering musical instruments at no cost to the public, for borrowing periods of three weeks at a time.
A wide range of instruments such as guitars, bongos, keyboards and banjos are available from each branch within the city, subject to availability.
Ancestry library
If you’re a genealogy geek or simply want to uncover more about your family’s history, the library has extensive resources dedicated to help, free of charge.
Resources include FamilySearch, MyHeritage and Ancestry Library, which show information from censuses, obituaries, birth records and several more historical records spanning hundreds of years from more than 48 countries.
Video Games
The library has games galore for those interested. Suitable for almost any device, the library offers more than 2,000 games compatible with Playstations, Nintendo Switch, Xbox and Wii to borrow.
Games vary in genre and year of release, and as such, you can find anything from motor racing to My Little Pony adventures.
Access passes
Before heading out on a local outing, you may want to check if a free pass is available. The library provides passes for recreational spaces in and around the city.
From museums to ski passes, they have it all. These passes can be borrowed for up to seven days at a time and cover general admission for local attractions such as the National Arts Centre, Ingenium Museums, Ontario parks, the Kanata Nordic ski trails and more!
By far the coolest and probably most underrated thing the library has to offer is the Imagine Spaces. The Nepean Centrepointe branch’s Imagine Lab comes equipped with 3D printers, laser cutters, sewing machines, as well as video and sound editing systems.
At the Ruth E. Dickinson branch in Barrhaven, a music editing lab is equipped with headphones, a musical keyboard and a MacBook Pro with music editing softwares installed.
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With the 2026 opening of the central branch at Ādisōke on LeBreton Flats, library goers can expect to see a surge in OPL public programming. Supporting these existing programs ensures their continuation and receival of deserved City of Ottawa funding.
Featured image courtesy of the Ottawa Public Library.
