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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, A ug us t 2, 20 18 | 68 J.M.C Concrete Interlocking LTD Oakville's Favourite Patios & Driveways! DIAMONDDIAMOND DIAMONDDIAMOND LIKE US ONAsk for John www.jmcconcrete.ca 905-878-8595 • stamped concrete • interlocking • exposed aggregate • flagstone • french curbs • retainingwalls • garage floors • free estimates SAVE TIME - BUY ONLINE! VISIT US AT BADBOY.CA! SAVE $70 $358 60Hz · 4HDMI ULTRA LED TV #113294 49"4K BY COMMUNITY Visit insidehalton.com for more coverage The Oakville Public Li- brary (OPL) is bringing the past to life with a new digital collection of late 20th centu- ry Oakville Beaver issues. The library announced recently that with support from June and Ian Cock- well, and Amarna, the de Vries Family Foundation and the Heritage Trust Fund, funds held at the Oak- ville Community Founda- tion - the OPL has digitized close to 500 late 20th century issues of the Oakville Bea- ver and made them avail- able on the library's News- paper Database. OPL staff noted that through this digitization ini- tiative, there would be yet another opportunity for community members to ex- perience and engage with Oakville's rich local history in a modern and accessible way. They point out past is- sues of the Oakville Beaver, and its predecessor newspa- pers, are one of the few re- maining sources of local his- tory from the Town of Oak- ville, the Village of Bronte and Trafalgar Township. Library officials said lo- cal newspapers offer a rare and fascinating glimpse into the past, and are well-used by many Oakville residents including local historians, genealogists, students and community organizations. Although the library's Newspaper Database is pop- ular - it was accessed more than 8,800 times in 2016 - OPL staff said prior to digitaliza- tion, many of the Oakville Beaver issues were in poor condition, and the library routinely received requests for articles not available on- line. As a result of the growing need for this type of digital resource in the community, library officials said they made thousands of pages from past Oakville Beaver issues available through the database, which can be ac- cessed for free with an OPL card. The newly digitized col- lection allows users to search articles using key- words, and the issues can al- so be read by screen readers, which is helpful for users with visual impairments. "With digitally accessible issues of the Oakville Bea- ver now available on our database, users can com- plete their research more ef- ficiently and effectively," said Elise C. Cole, local col- lections librarian at the OPL. "This project places valu- able information right into the hands of the researcher, whether that be a student completing a school project, a local historian collecting details for a book or a com- munity member exploring his or her family history." OPL staff said it is the hope that the ongoing digiti- zation effort will provide support for local communi- ty, local history, school cur- riculum and genealogical research. They also noted that while the OPL continues to evolve and look ahead, it is always respectful of the past, and confident in its ability to build community by con- necting people and ideas. This initiative, they said, demonstrates the library's commitment to preserving Oakville's treasured com- munity heritage and collec- tive memory. HUNDREDS OF NEWLY DIGITIZED OAKVILLE BEAVER ISSUES OFFER WINDOW TO THE PAST From left, Metroland Halton's Regional Managing Editor Catherine O'Hara joins Local Collections Librarian Elise Cole and Oakville Public Library CEO Lynn Horlor in celebrating a new addition to the library's database. The library has recently digitized close to 500 issues of the Oakville Beaver and made them available on the library's newspaper database. This comes with the support from June and Ian Cockwell and Amarna, the de Vries Family Foundation and the Heritage Trust Fund. Riziero Vertolli / Metroland NEWS OAKVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY'S NEWSPAPER DATABASE ACCESSED MORE THAN 8,800 TIMES IN 2016