Library Services

Ontario City Library locations have computer workstations with a variety of computer-based tools including internet access for free use. To use library computer workstations a library card in good standing is required. Public Wi-Fi is also available for use with personal devices.

• Prints and copies are available with a library card.
  • Black & white – $0.15¢ per page
  • Color – $0.25¢ per page
• Scans can be submitted via email or saved onto a flash drive at no cost. 

Ontario City Library is proud to offer interlibrary loan service. If there is specific material not available at either location, library staff can request the material from another library within the United States. If another library is found that allows interlibrary loan services of the material in question, it can be mailed to Ontario City Library for patron checkout. There is a $2.00 fee per borrowed material that will be due when the material is picked up. The patron placing the request for the interlibrary loan service is responsible for the $2.00 fee, regardless of whether it is picked up. Shipping times will vary depending upon material requested and lending library location. Requests can be made through the public library catalog or by visiting a reference desk.

Beverly Cleary Young Readers Room
The City Council proudly named the Ovitt Family Community Library children's area the Beverly Cleary Young Readers Room on April 12, 2023, in honor of the acclaimed author. During her time in Ontario, California, in the 1930s, Cleary attended Chaffey Junior College and worked as a substitute librarian at the Ontario City Library. It was within the walls of this library that Cleary found inspiration, nurturing her passion for literature and her understanding of children's experiences. Her ability to authentically capture the joys and challenges of childhood, combined with her genuine empathy and humor, propelled her to become a literary icon. Through beloved books like the adventures of Ramona Quimby and Henry Huggins, Cleary instilled a love of reading and the magic of childhood in readers worldwide. Her enduring contributions to children's literature continue to inspire Ontario’s community for generations to come.

Services to Children
Ontario City Library’s services to children include a wide range of programs and services for the whole family. The children’s library material collections are in English and Spanish and contain print materials and media for children through eighth grade and materials for parents and caregivers on child development and parenting.

Students looking for book recommendations or in search of books according to their grade level can fill out this form! Charlie the Bat will email a list of book recommendations to the student or place a bundle of books on hold for pick up at Ovitt Family Community Library or Lewis Family Branch.

Programs include:

• Story times
• Family events
• Reading challenges
• Special events

Ontario City Library Young Adult Services provides teens a space to grow and socialize while fostering a love of reading and learning.

• Ontario City Library believes teens should have their own library space to read, learn and interact.
• Ontario City Library provides current, relevant, trending and interesting materials for young adult audiences.
• Ontario City Library provides a forum for social networking and encourages a unique community of dedicated teen library users.
• Ontario City Library provides professional services and programs to assist teens in achieving their recreational, educational and career-oriented goals.
• Ontario City Library respects the needs and expectations of teens and values their opinions and identity.

Teen Library Board/Volunteens 
Community service opportunities are available in two ways: as a member on the Teen Library Board or as a volunteen (teen volunteer). For more information, please contact Teen Alley at the Ovitt Family Community Library at (909) 395-2228 or the Lewis Family Branch at (909) 395-2272.

The Ontario City Library Adult Literacy Program, Liftoff to Literacy provides one-to-one tutoring for adults ages 18+.  Adult learners seeking to improve their literacy skills will be paired with a volunteer tutor and provided with learning materials to help them reach their reading goals at their own pace. Liftoff to Literacy accepts adult learners and tutoring volunteers. Orientation, training and materials are provided.

For more information, visit Adult Literacy (link to: https://www.ontarioca.gov/adultliteracy). 

Did you know?

• A higher level of literacy builds self-esteem.
• Higher literacy levels improve the overall quality of life.
• Adults who read more can positively impact their children’s schoolwork.
• Adults who participate in adult literacy education experience higher rates of employment.
• Higher levels of literacy in adults can increase voter participation and result in higher rates of citizenship among immigrants.

To participate in the program as either a learner or a volunteer tutor, please call the Ovitt Family Community Library's Adult Reference Desk at (909) 395-2205 or email Literacy@OntarioCA.gov

Robert E. Ellingwood Model Colony History Room Est. 1970
Collections highlighting the history of Ontario and the western region of San Bernardino County.

Attention local history seekers! Visit the Model Colony History Room on the lower level of the Ovitt Family Community Library. You will find books, newspaper articles, brochures, booklets, photographs, maps and more!

Plan a visit.

• Are you a student assigned to research a local person, place, or thing? There is library staff that can help you.
• Want to find pictures of your old classmates, friends, or relatives? There are high school yearbooks for Chaffey, Ontario, and Colony high schools! There are even some from neighboring high schools. Call us to see if we have the yearbook you’re looking for.
• Looking for information on a local ancestor, an old business, or your historic Ontario house? The Model Colony History Room might have something in its collections. Come in and take a look at our Master Biography File, city directories, building survey collection, or newspaper index (available online). 

Can’t visit us in person? Explore local history online.

• Staff are continuously digitizing photos, building surveys, and more to create the Ontario Treasures portal. This is a work in progress, check back often to see what’s new.  
• Watch videos, listen to interviews, and look at images from the Model Colony History Room on the Internet Archive. 
• Southern California development is rooted in the water supply. Find documents related to area water history in The Claremont Colleges Libraries CLIRWater-California Water Documents Collection. Digitized documents from the Model Colony History Room and several other libraries, universities, and the National Archives are available. 

Donations
Do you have stuff piling up in your attic, basement or garage? Did you inherit local area photographs and other items from family that you don’t know what to do with? Want to lighten your load while helping to preserve our local history? Donate it!

The Model Colony History Room accepts donations of Ontario-related materials such as:

• Photographs of Ontario and the surrounding area
• Yearbooks for local schools
• Maps and aerial photos of the local area
• Books and audiovisual materials
  • written by local authors
  • set in the area
  • about Ontario and the vicinity, and local business, industry, agriculture, or culture
• Records from local businesses, families, clubs and organizations
• Historical ephemera items such as brochures, pamphlets, programs, menus, or catalogs related to Ontario and the surrounding area
• Written genealogies/histories for local area families

Finding Aids
What's a finding aid you ask? It's a written inventory of a specific collection. The Model Colony History Room has several collections donated by individuals, families, and businesses. Some of these collections include Armstrong Nurseries, General Electric Ontario Hotpoint Works, Ontario Motor Speedway, and more. Browse the finding aids below. Please contact (909) 395-2206 or LocalHistory@OntarioCA.gov at least one day in advance to plan a visit to view these collections. In your request provide the name of the collection and which box number you want to view for your research. Staff can retrieve 4 boxes at a time. Items in these collections are fragile and special handling is required. 

The Ontario City Library Workforce Development Office is in the lower level of the Ovitt Family Community Library. Workforce Development assists San Bernardino County residents with advancing their careers and helps them become more marketable. 

Hours of Operation:
Monday – Friday 10:00am – 6:00pm

Workforce Development provides the following resources:

• Career assessments
• Career coaching and mentoring
• Community resources and referrals
• Individual employment counseling
• On the job and vocational training as determined by an individual assessment
• Personalized career planning
• Professional development workshops such as: resume building, successful interview techniques, contemporary job search strategies, how to get a government job and more

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact the Workforce Development Specialist - Tamika Tonge, MPH, NCPI at (909) 395-2497 or Tamika.Tonge@wdd.sbcounty.gov.

San Bernardino County Workforce Development is in collaboration with the Transformative Climate Communities Grant in building stronger and economically viable communities.

The Ontario on the Go program provides positive, educational and exciting activities to select locations in the community. The mobile unit promotes programs designed by the Community Life & Culture Agency through the Ontario City Library, the Ontario Museum of History & Art and the Recreation & Community Services Department.

Ontario on the Go is on the road for afternoons of fun, games and activities!

Schedule
Mondays at Vineyard Park from 2:30 PM – 5 PM (1400 E. Sixth St.)
Tuesdays at Sam Alba Memorial Park from 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM (401 E. Sunkist St.)
Wednesdays at James R. Bryant Park from 2:30 PM – 5 PM (648 W. D St.)
Thursdays at John Galvin Park from 2:30 PM – 5 PM (1072 N. Grove Ave.)

For more information, please contact the Children’s Reference Desk at the Ovitt Family Community Library at (909) 395-2207.

The Ovitt Family Community Library and Lewis Family Branch have meeting rooms available at a fee for use by community groups or organizations whose aims are educational, cultural, or civic betterment. There are no rental fees for activities organized or sponsored by the City of Ontario or Ontario collaborative agencies. 

The primary purpose of library meeting rooms is to provide space for library-sponsored educational and cultural activities. A secondary use is to support the operations of the City of Ontario, schools serving Ontario, and governmental agencies partnering with Ontario.

To learn more about library meeting room use, please review the Meeting Room Policy and Application Form. For more information, please email Reference@OntarioCA.gov.

School Tours & Librarian Visits
Ontario City Library is dedicated to assisting our community’s educators and students. Please use this online form to schedule a librarian visit or a school tour. 

Library Tours
Library Tours are customizable. They can include:
•    Tour of library collections most relevant to your students
•    Tour of our Lightspeed Makerspace
•    Presentation on library services
•    Presentation on free databases
•    Booktalks on interesting books to students
•    Perform a story time for all ages
•    If you are interested in having your students receive library cards, let us know! Library card applications must be received by the library 1 month in advance. 

Visits to Your School
Let us come to you! Librarian visits can be scheduled with advance notice and tailored to your needs. We can:
•    Discuss free databases and relevant library materials to your lessons
•    Present booktalks to introduce interesting books to students
•    Perform storytime for all ages
•    Present presentations in English and Spanish to parents, faculty and staff
•    Set up vendor and information booths at school events (Open House, Back to School Night, Parent Conference week, etc.)

For more information, please contact the Beverly Cleary Young Readers Room at the Ovitt Family Community Library at (909) 395-2207 or the Lewis Family Branch Information Desk at (909) 395-2256.

Educator Library Card
Public, private and homeschool educators who work in Ontario may apply for an Educator Library Card using their school ID, school email address and school address. Visit your local Ontario City Library to apply or fill out this form to have a card mailed to you. With an Educator Card, you get special borrowing privileges! 
•    A maximum of 40 library materials may be checked out for 30 days. *
•    Educational and non-fiction DVDs may be checked out for 7 days, with a 2-time courtesy renewal. * 
•    4 free fee-based DVD checkouts per year. Free fee-based DVD checkouts must be used within the calendar year and do not roll over.
•    Lose your card? Educators do not pay a replacement fee for lost, stolen or damaged library cards.
* items reserved for others will not be renewed.

Want to be in the know of things happening at Ontario City Library? Be in the know by joining our quarterly educator newsletter. Email Briana Ochoa at BOchoa@OntarioCA.gov for more information.

Educators working at the following schools qualify for an Educator Library Card. Don’t see your school on the list? Please call (909) 395-2207.