News Release Ontario and Municipalities Work Towards a Strong Economic Recovery Successful AMO conference demonstrates critical partnership https://news.ontario.ca/mma/en/2020/08/ontario-and-municipalities-work-towards-a-strong-economic-recovery.html August 19, 2020 4:00 P.M. Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing TORONTO — The Ontario government joined hundreds of municipal officials for a successful virtual 2020 Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference this week. It...

If a crisis like COVID-19 hasn't pushed government to take action to improve broadband access, what can? Lack of affordable, quality internet across country keeping families from meeting basic needs like education https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/opinion-erin-knight-internet-access-1.5682217    

Give Your Digital Library Marketing an Accessibility Overhaul and Make Access to Your Library TRULY Open and Equal for All. Here’s Your Starter Kit. https://superlibrarymarketing.com/2020/08/24/accessbility/  

Zoom Tips for Libraries II https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2020/08/zoom-tips-for-libraries-ii/ In June, I shared tips from King County Library System for using Zoom. But we all know that the name of the game is flexibility and iteration, so here’s an update on where we are now.

Ontario Expands Indoor Capacity for Meeting and Event Facilities The Ontario government is safely reopening more of the economy by easing restrictions for facilities that rent out professional meeting and event spaces. Beginning August 21, 2020, facilities can have up to 50 guests for each indoor meeting room or event space within the facility. The facility would have to adhere to a plan approved by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. The current indoor gathering limit will now...

Connections: Virtual Anti-loneliness Programs in the time of COVID-19 https://nnlm.gov/class/virtual-antiloneliness-programs-covid19/26910 Loneliness and social isolation are rampant in America, according to many experts. The Center for Disease Control calls loneliness an epidemic and says it has a higher morbidity rate than obesity (about the same as smoking two packs of cigarettes a day). Studies have shown that loneliness cuts across all age, social, race, and economic demographics. We have...

America’s Moral Obligation for Universal Broadband Too little progress has been made to ensure that high-speed Internet is available to all. As the pandemic has demonstrated, far too many still don't have what they need to function in a virtual world. https://www.governing.com/now/Americas-Moral-Obligation-for-Universal-Broadband.html    

RNAO's advice for reopening schools in Ontario "Letter to Dr. David Williams, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health: School re-opening and planning for the 500 public health nurses in Ontario (Aug. 19, 2020) With approximately two million school-age children and 160,000 teachers in Ontario, it is clear the health and well-being of these children, their parents, teachers and staff must be central to the decision-making process. We must make decisions that avoid major risk...

OLS-N Virtual Conference - September 23, 2020 Register for OLS-N's virtual conference that fosters collaboration, empowers clients, and celebrates Northern Public Libraries using practical, hands-on content where possible. Visit OLS-N's website for more information and to view the detailed agenda. REGISTER THROUGH LEARNHQ >>

VIA OLA: Grant Opportunity – Ontario Trillium Foundation Resilient Communities Fund The Resilient Communities Fund is a one-time fund to support the non-profit sector recover and rebuild from the impacts emerging from COVID-19 so they can effectively meet the needs of communities across Ontario. OTF is investing in projects of eligible non-profit organizations to aid their medium to longer-term recovery efforts, help with their stabilization and build their capacity and resiliency in the...