As part of our responsibility to preserving Oakville’s history and making it accessible, OPL is embarking on the Oakville Newspaper Digitization & Access Project. This 2-year project, beginning in early 2024, will secure this history for future generations, preserving those records and granting easy access to information seekers. It ensures inclusivity and creates a platform to share Oakville’s history online.

Will you support the early phases of this project to encourage and inspire people of all ages to research and learn about their connection to Oakville and their heritage? Visit opl.ca/donate to give now.

OPL is asking you to consider designating your donation to kickstart this project. Every contribution, big or small, plays a crucial role in this endeavor. As we join, collectively together, to continue to be the keeper of community stories and preserving history.

Did you know that the Oakville Public Library is the proud guardian of over 300,000 pages of Oakville's historic newspapers, some dating back to the early 1900s?

Our collection, spanning more than 80 years, includes not only these newspapers but invaluable genealogical materials, yearbooks, maps, and records, all preserved within our branches. These archives embody the rich tapestry of Oakville’s community heritage and collective memory, offering a window into the lives and times of our town’s past.

Thanks to the generosity of our community donors, a portion of the OPL’s historic newspaper collection is currently accessible through a digital database. However, this platform, now outdated, needs an urgent upgrade to improve user experience and accessibility. Unfortunately, most of our newspaper archives remain in fragile physical and microfilm formats and are waiting to be digitized. These irreplaceable documents are at risk of damage and, more critically, are not accessible by the public.

There are many more stories that are trapped within newspaper pages that are waiting to see the light of day. This project presents a unique opportunity for you, our community members, to actively engage with and experience Oakville’s rich and diverse history in a modern, accessible manner. Your support will not only help preserve our heritage but also uncover meaningful stories like that of Elizabeth, who grew up in the foster system without any mementos of her early childhood. Elizabeth remembered a special moment from her youth – being photographed while bobbing for apples at a Bronte festival in the 1980s. She recalled seeing this photo in the Oakville Beaver. With the help of an OPL history librarian, after an extensive search through microfilm and bound volumes, she finally found the cherished photo. Thanks to the librarian’s efforts, Elizabeth received a copy, rekindling a precious memory. Imagine how much easier and rewarding her journey would have been if the newspaper had been digitized. With your contribution, stories like Elizabeth’s can be rediscovered with just a few clicks on opl.ca, connecting our community with preserved pieces of history.

Will you help us to ensure that Oakville’s newspaper collection is easily available to anyone with an interest in Oakville’s history?

Join us in bringing the Oakville Newspaper Digitization and Access project to life.

Does this project resonate with you? Visit opl.ca/donate to designate your donation to Digitization.

Your generosity can transform the way we experience our town’s history, making it a vivid, accessible part of our daily lives. Are you interested in supporting this project in a more profound way? Visit opl.ca/donate to learn more.