What are pools?
Pools are specialized collections of materials that rotate among participating libraries four times per year, for a typical period of three years. Participation is open to all public libraries in Ontario for a fee that covers the cost of the pool.
OLS – North polls Ontario’s public libraries for their interest in new pools. We organize the selection committee, purchase the materials, send them to the libraries, and coordinate mailing the rotations.
Who Selects the Materials?
OLS – North convenes a selection committee from the pool participants. The committee selects the materials and reviews the terms, conditions and procedures for each pool.
What are the benefits of participating?
Participating libraries benefit by providing popular and fresh content in a specialized format to their users every few months. Participation also provides a library with the opportunity to try new formats and determine their suitability with users.
What pools are currently running?
The following pools are currently circulating among participating libraries:
- Large Print – May 2017 - October 2020
- Audiobook – December 2018 - December 2021
- Book Club – September 2019 - March 2021
- French Large Print – January 2020 - July 2022
- Graphic Novel – January 2020 - April 2022
What pools will be offered in the future?
The following pools will be launched in the near future, once a minimum of ten libraries is reached:
- DVD (five libraries currently registered)
- Indigenous (three libraries currently registered)