Happy World Book Day!
Mar. 5th, 2026 02:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
blogcutterSo, bringing you more news from the world of books and reading, today is World Book Day. Here's a description of what it's all about:
https://literacytrust.org.uk/about-us/world-book-day-national-literacy-trust/
And here's another U.K. site, Goldsboro Books, in which their staff weigh in on the books that have had the greatest impact on their lives:
https://goldsborobooks.com/blogs/news/world-book-day-the-books-that-made-us-readers?mc_cid=702d996c97&mc_eid=47fc6ebfe4
Closer to home, we're also blessed with a strong network of libraries and bookshops. While most residents are likely aware of the location of their nearest or most convenient public library branch, there are also numerous libraries supporting educational institutions, government offices, law firms, and more. Their resources are often available to anyone who needs them, whether for consultation on site or borrowing directly through an alumni connection or otherwise via interlibrary loan.
There are also libraries geared to specific groups within our community, for example the Ottawa Trans Library:
https://ottawatranslibrary.ca
That said, there's something about book ownership too, especially with classics and other books that you anticipate re-reading or referring to on a regular basis.
Getting kids reading and enjoying books early in life is important too, and that's the philosophy behind Twice Upon A Time, which provides free books (of their own choosing) to children up to age 12:
https://twiceuponatime.ca
For leisure reading, I'm a big fan of in-person browsing, the serendipity of discovering something you weren't specifically looking for, but looks like it might be right up your alley. I love second-hand bookshops and fund-raising book sales but when I buy new, I try where possible to shop the independents.
One of my favourites is The Spaniel's Tale, located in Ottawa's Hintonburg neighbourhood. Their current space is really too small, although they've been making good use of the space they do have, highlighting local authors at the front of the store and devoting plenty of space to mystery and crime fiction, other genre fiction, gender studies, indigenous studies ... all the stuff I typically gravitate towards, anyway.
And the good news is ... they'll soon be moving a few doors along Wellington Street to more spacious digs!
https://thespanielstale.ca/our-new-location
If you shop there or think you would like to, you can even help with their expansion by becoming a Bookstore Builder at whatever level you're comfortable with (details at the above-listed website). They even maintain a gift registry for the aforementioned Ottawa Trans Library:
https://thespanielstale.ca/gift-registry/yHVwG-HlRiI
Not all independents do well here. Collected Works, which was located near Wellington and Holland, was in a cosy little space, accessible via a number of bus routes, and offered coffee too. They expanded their space, but sadly were unable to make a go of it after that.
Perfect Books, on the other hand, quite recently doubled their existing space and appear to be thriving. I'm sure it helps that they are in a central downtown location but they are also great community builders and have partnered with, for example, the Writers Festival to be their official book vendor. During pandemic lockdowns, staff would often hand-deliver orders free of charge and not only to downtown locations.
This one goes back a ways, but I also want to highlight the creative solution that Books on Beechwood came up with, when facing almost certain closure back in 2013:
https://www.newedinburgh.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/2013_FebNEN_web.pdf
Way to go!
https://literacytrust.org.uk/about-us/world-book-day-national-literacy-trust/
And here's another U.K. site, Goldsboro Books, in which their staff weigh in on the books that have had the greatest impact on their lives:
https://goldsborobooks.com/blogs/news/world-book-day-the-books-that-made-us-readers?mc_cid=702d996c97&mc_eid=47fc6ebfe4
Closer to home, we're also blessed with a strong network of libraries and bookshops. While most residents are likely aware of the location of their nearest or most convenient public library branch, there are also numerous libraries supporting educational institutions, government offices, law firms, and more. Their resources are often available to anyone who needs them, whether for consultation on site or borrowing directly through an alumni connection or otherwise via interlibrary loan.
There are also libraries geared to specific groups within our community, for example the Ottawa Trans Library:
https://ottawatranslibrary.ca
That said, there's something about book ownership too, especially with classics and other books that you anticipate re-reading or referring to on a regular basis.
Getting kids reading and enjoying books early in life is important too, and that's the philosophy behind Twice Upon A Time, which provides free books (of their own choosing) to children up to age 12:
https://twiceuponatime.ca
For leisure reading, I'm a big fan of in-person browsing, the serendipity of discovering something you weren't specifically looking for, but looks like it might be right up your alley. I love second-hand bookshops and fund-raising book sales but when I buy new, I try where possible to shop the independents.
One of my favourites is The Spaniel's Tale, located in Ottawa's Hintonburg neighbourhood. Their current space is really too small, although they've been making good use of the space they do have, highlighting local authors at the front of the store and devoting plenty of space to mystery and crime fiction, other genre fiction, gender studies, indigenous studies ... all the stuff I typically gravitate towards, anyway.
And the good news is ... they'll soon be moving a few doors along Wellington Street to more spacious digs!
https://thespanielstale.ca/our-new-location
If you shop there or think you would like to, you can even help with their expansion by becoming a Bookstore Builder at whatever level you're comfortable with (details at the above-listed website). They even maintain a gift registry for the aforementioned Ottawa Trans Library:
https://thespanielstale.ca/gift-registry/yHVwG-HlRiI
Not all independents do well here. Collected Works, which was located near Wellington and Holland, was in a cosy little space, accessible via a number of bus routes, and offered coffee too. They expanded their space, but sadly were unable to make a go of it after that.
Perfect Books, on the other hand, quite recently doubled their existing space and appear to be thriving. I'm sure it helps that they are in a central downtown location but they are also great community builders and have partnered with, for example, the Writers Festival to be their official book vendor. During pandemic lockdowns, staff would often hand-deliver orders free of charge and not only to downtown locations.
This one goes back a ways, but I also want to highlight the creative solution that Books on Beechwood came up with, when facing almost certain closure back in 2013:
https://www.newedinburgh.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/2013_FebNEN_web.pdf
Way to go!
(no subject)
Date: 2026-03-05 11:48 pm (UTC)