Public libraries to lend musical instruments
The next time you’re at the Ottawa Public Library, you will be able to check out one of Sarah McLachlan’s personal acoustic guitars, or one of 150 of other instruments available to borrow.
Canada’s music icon was at the library’s main branch on Tuesday afternoon to help launch the Sun Life Financial Musical Instrument Lending Library program.
The program is offered at both the main library branch on Metcalfe Street and the Nepean Centrepointe location. In addition to providing access to 150 instruments, including guitars, banjos and violins, the program also includes a series of teaching videos.
McLachlan said the program is important because it helps to remove the financial barrier to instruments. “I think cost is a huge barrier and I think accessibility is a huge barrier,” said the Grammy and Juno award winner. “And the fact that, like books, people can come and learn any instrument they want — not rent, but borrow from a public library for free — is amazing … and the great thing is these days, online, you can learn to play any instrument.”
Sun Life Financial donated $140,000 to the Ottawa Public Library to fund the program’s operating costs. This is the sixth program Sun Life has funded in libraries across the country as part of its Making the Arts More Accessible program.
“Music can have a profound impact on a person’s life, and being able to share and create music is something everyone deserves to experience,” said Paul Joliat, Sun Life’s assistant vice-president, philanthropy and sponsorships.
Like books, the instruments can be borrowed for three weeks at a time. They can be borrowed three more times, as long as there are no requests for that specific item.
“If you go to our website, ( just like) you would search for a book you can search for a musical instrument — and with your library card you can put that on hold,” said Anna Basile, division manager, governance, communications, and strategic services. “And what that does is it reserves it for your name,
The fact that, like books, people can come and learn any instrument they want — not rent but borrow (for free) — is amazing.
and you can pick the Nepean Centrepointe or the main branch. You go to (either of ) those two (locations), and then you bring it back to that branch.”
McLachlan, who donated a Yamaha acoustic guitar to the collection, said she supports the initiative because she knows first-hand how music can have a positive effect on life quality.
“I think music is so powerful and so important, and so important for all of us to have in our lives, whether it’s young kids starting out … (or) retired people coming back in and rediscovering an instrument. It’s like a new lease on life . ... And music just opens up so many doors.”