The Toronto Public Library is the largest public library system in North America, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Established as the library of the York Mechanics' Institute in 1830, the Toronto Public Library now consists of 99 branch libraries and has over 11 million items in its collection.

History

In 1830, a library was established in the Mechanics' Institute of what was then the town of York. In 1883, this collection became the Toronto Public Library.

Between 1907 and 1916, 10 libraries were built with funds from the Andrew Carnegie trust. Several of these Carnegie libraries continue to be used by the public library; one, the original Central Reference Library, is now the Koffler Student Centre at the St. George Campus of the University of Toronto.

Prior to 1998, each of the former constituent municipalities of Metropolitan Toronto operated their own peripheral public libraries:

• Etobicoke Public Library - established 1950 with 13 branches
• North York Public Library - established 1955 with 19 branches
• York Public Library - established 1967 with 6 branches
• East York Public Library - established 1967 with 5 branches
• Scarborough Public Library - established 1955 with 19 branches
• Metro Toronto Public Library established 1967

When, in 1997, the Government of Ontario amalgamated the former municipalities, the individual library boards (plus the Toronto Reference Library) merged into the Toronto Public Library. In 1998, the Toronto Public Library became the largest library system in North America serving a population of 2.3 million people with 98 branches and a collection of over 9 million items.

In 2004, a new library was opened in the St. James Town neighbourhood of Toronto, bringing the total number of branches to 99.

The Toronto Public Library is subject to the Ontario Public Libraries Act, which, among other things, ensures free access to library materials.

Toronto Public Library Board

The Toronto Public Library is governed by a Board appointed by Toronto City Council. The Board is composed of eight citizen members, four Toronto City Councillors and the Mayor or his designate. Members of the Toronto Public Library Board appointed for the 2006-2010 term are:

• Mr. Matthew Church (Chair)
• Ms. Eman Ahmed
• Councillor Paul Ainslie
• Mr. Adam Chaleff-Freudenthaler
• Councillor Janet Davis (Mayor's designate)
• Ms. Ann Decter
• Ms. Tina Edan
• Mr. Okeima Lawrence
• Councillor Chin Lee
• Councillor Anthony Perruzza
• Ms. Kathy Gallagher Ross
• Councillor Adam Vaughan
• Ms. Kate Wilson

Collections

The library's collection is approximately 11 million items, including books, periodicals and audio-visual materials. Along with general interest fiction and nonfiction there are numerous special collections and focused collecting efforts in areas such as multilingual materials, career and job education and local history.

Items withdrawn from the collection are typically offered for sale at individual branches or at two volunteer-run bookstores.

Notable special collections

• The Arthur Conan Doyle Collection
• The Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation and Fantasy
• The Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books
• The Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection

Technology, Web and Interactive Services

The Toronto Public Library offers a wide range of technology, web and interactive services including public access computers and free wireless internet access from selected branches.In addition to these branch services the Library also offers extensive collections of online content including books, music and video, research databases, periodicals, magazines, online educational and literacy support resources and ongoing digitization of special collections.

The Toronto Public Library web team blogs about recent changes, future plans, and issues raised by users about the Library's web and interactive services.

Bookmobiles

The TPL operates two Bookmobile buses, targeting communities who lack easy access to a neighbourhood branch. Currently there are 32 regular Bookmobile stops in Toronto, including one on Ward's Island.

The bookmobile concept was previously used in the library systems of the former cities of North York, Ontario, Scarborough, Ontario and Toronto as far back as 1955.

See also

• James Bain, George Locke and Charles Sanderson, former chief librarians
• Ontario Public Libraries
• Ottawa Public Library

References

• Oder, Norman. (2003). Growing into a changing city. Library Journal, 128(10), 40-42. Retrieved April 5, 2009 from http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA300121.html
• Myrvold, Barbara. (1986). The first hundred years: Toronto Public Library 1883-1983. In Peter F. McNally (Ed.), Readings in Canadian Library History (pp. 65-89). Ottawa: Canadian Library Association.
• Penman, Margaret (1983) A Century of Service. Toronto: Toronto Public Library. ISBN 0-919486-73-8

Notes

External links

• Toronto Public Library
• List of Toronto Public Library Services
• Ontario Public Libraries
• 2007 Annual Report (including library use statistics)