A number of public libraries across Ontario are partnering with ServiceOntario to make it easier for area residents to access Ontario government services in their community.

“Our libraries are a trusted source of information across the province,” Minister of Government Services Gerry Phillips said today, as the province celebrates Ontario Public Library Week. “Thanks to this partnership with ServiceOntario, Ontarians can find a range of services from applying for a birth certificate to registering their business online right at their local library.”

Fifty-five public and First Nations libraries across the province that are partnering with ServiceOntario to provide increased access to government information through the ServiceOntario website (www.serviceontario.ca) at public computer terminals.  The initiative is a joint effort between the participating libraries, ServiceOntario, the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines and the Ministry of Culture.

Library staff at any of the 55 locations can help visitors navigate the ServiceOntario website to find a full range of services.

Through this partnership, ServiceOntario is helping to improve access to a wide range of online government services and helping busy families who may not have time to get to a government office during their workday or who don’t have Internet access at home.

“This year’s theme for Ontario Public Library Week of Libraries: the world at your fingertips honours the role of libraries as centres for the advancement of literacy, learning and knowledge in our communities,” said Culture Minister Caroline Di Cocco. “Libraries are hubs of our communities and thanks to new technologies they are windows to the world and places to go to feed our appetite for knowledge.”

By providing province-wide, one-stop access to a wide range of government services, ServiceOntario is making it easier for citizens to find and access the government services they need in much less time and with much less hassle.  To learn more about ServiceOntario or to find the location of a ServiceOntario centre in your community, visit www.serviceontario.ca or call
1-800-267-8097.

Contacts:
Paul de Zara
Minister’s Office
416-327-3072 

Ciaran Ganley
Ministry of Government Services
416-325-8659