The RPPS Book Fair is more than just a sale — it’s one of Ottawa’s oldest and most cherished school fundraisers, with a legacy rooted in community, connection, and a shared love of reading.

Every fall, the RPPS gym transforms into a massive pop-up bookstore. This isn’t magic, but rather a phenomenal effort on the part of our school community and many valued volunteers from the wider community. Throughout the year, donation drives, collection nights, sorting parties and finally the all-hands-on-deck sale setup result in three days of fabulous deals on gently used books for readers of all ages – and tasty food at the Book Fair Cafe! 

An event this size doesn’t come out of nowhere; it’s the legacy of decades of inspired and dedicated volunteers. The very first Rockcliffe Park Book Fair was held in 1961 by school parents raising funds for a new school library. In the early years parent volunteers collected donated books but also negotiated directly with publishers to bring a broad range of quality children’s books to the community. (At one point it was the largest selection of children’s books available for sale anywhere in the city!) Over the years Book Fair pivoted to exclusively sell second-hand books. Visiting authors, local dignitaries and celebrities, contests, costumes, even a virtual sale during the Covid years … Book Fair has seen it all! Multiple generations of RPPS students and their families have volunteered with the Fair and come back to help out or shop years later.

The Book Fair legacy extends beyond RPPS, however. As the fair grew in size and revenue volunteers realized there was an opportunity help fund literacy programs and needed projects at other schools and community associations as well. Now each year a significant percentage is shared with other schools and with the OCDSB’s Education Foundation