Toronto Public Library

Toronto Public Library
File:Toronto Public Library Logo.svg
Location	Toronto, Ontario
Established	1884
Branches	99
Collection
Size	~11 million
Access and use
Access requirements	To get a library card you must live, work or go to school in Toronto
Circulation	28.9 Million (2007)
Population served	2,503,281
Other information
Budget	$170,000,000
Director	Jane Pyper, City Librarian
Website	http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca

The Toronto Public Library is the largest public library system in Canada and the second busiest (by number of visits) in the world after the Hong Kong Public Library. It can trace its roots back to 1830. The Toronto Public Library consists of 99 branch libraries and has over 11 million items in its collection. In 2005, the TPL loaned over 30.4 million books, CDs, and videos. In terms of circulation, the TPL is the largest in North America - over 1/3 busier than Queens Borough Public Library in New York (19 million circulated items).

History

Yorkville Library, one of several Carnegie libraries in Toronto

File:P2220029.JPG

Computers with free Internet access at the Steeles Branch

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 and took over Toronto Central Library from TPL (now Reference Library).

When, in 1997, the Government of Ontario amalgamated the former municipalities, the individual library boards (plus the 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 neighborhood of Toronto, bringing the total number of branches to 99.

The Toronto Public Library is subject to the Ontario Public Libraries Act (2002), 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:

• Ms. Eman Ahmed
• Councillor Paul Ainslie
• Mr. Adam Chaleff-Freudenthaler
• Mr. Matthew Church (Vice Chair)
• 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 (Chair)
• Councillor Adam Vaughan
• Ms. Kate Wilson

How to use it

Toronto Reference Library

Patrons can borrow items from the Toronto Public Library by visiting a branch in person or by placing holds via the library's website. When placing a hold, patrons can choose the branch where the hold will be delivered to. When a hold is ready for pick-up, patrons are notified via an automated call, and have one week to pick-up the item. Patrons can borrow up to 50 items on their card and place up to 50 items on hold at a time.

Patrons with multiple holds or those going on holidays can control the status of their holds and avoid having all the items come in at once; or missing a pick-up altogether - by changing the status of their holds to inactive on the library's website. When they are next in line to receive the hold, they can choose to re-activate its status and the item should come to them in 3 to 4 days, in most cases. However, holds will expire if more than two years pass after they are ordered.

Most branches carry some items that can not be checked out. However, photocopying machines are available within the libraries to copy the needed materials. Microform printers are also available in both the North York Central and Toronto Reference libraries.

Electronic Services

The Toronto Public Library offers many electronic services including over 1,500 public access computers with Microsoft Office and Internet Access, Public Wireless Internet Access from 31 of its branches and a Digital Design Studio with the latest design software including Adobe Creative Suite for both the Macintosh and PC platforms.

• Free Wireless Internet Access (WI-FI)
• Public Access Computers
• Word Processing Workstations
• Digital Design Studio

In addition to these branch services the Library also offers extensive collections of electronic content including popular titles in books, music and video, research databases, periodicals, magazines, online educational and literacy support resources and their treasured collections which they continually digitize for public consumption through the internet.

• Downloadable Books, Music and Video
• Online Access to Safari Books by O'Reilly
• Electronic Research Databases, Periodicals Magazines and Online Educational and Literacy Support Resources
• Toronto Public Library's Digital Collections

Loan Periods

St. James Town Library, the 99th library in The Toronto Public Library system

Borrowed materials can be returned to any Toronto Public Library branch, but some items must be returned to the branch they were borrowed from. If this is the case, staff will inform you during check-out. In general, the borrowing periods are as follows:

• 3 weeks for most items
• 7 days for most videos and DVDs; 3 weeks for language learning and literacy videos
• 7 days for Best Bets books

Patrons can renew most items two times, provided that the items are not on hold for somebody else. Renewals can be done on the library's website, or by phone at 416-395-5505.

Book Ends Bookstores

The Parkdale branch of the Toronto Public Library.

The Toronto Public Library currently has two bookstores, Book Ends and Book Ends South, which are run by volunteers from the Friends of the Library organization. The bookstores sell materials donated to the library, and used items that have been withdrawn from circulation - most for no more than a dollar. All proceeds from the sales go to support programs and services offered by the library to the community.

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
• There are other several specialized branches in the Toronto Public Library system who cater to the many language needs of Toronto's diverse cultural mosaic.

Bookmobile Service

Wheelchair accessible and complete with online catalogue and database access, the TPL's Bookmobiles truly are branches on the go. The TPL operates two Bookmobile buses, targeting children, seniors and at risk 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.

• Ford E350 or E450 mobile bus libraries

Bibliography

• Penman, Margaret (1983) A Century of Service. Toronto: Toronto Public Library. ISBN 0-919486-73-8
• Toronto Public Library (2005) Research Ate My Brain: The Panic-Proof Guide to Surviving Homework. Toronto: Annick Press. ISBN 1-55037-939-9
• Toronto Public Library (2006) The Research Virtuoso: Brilliant Methods for Normal Brains. Toronto: Annick Press. ISBN 1-55037-956-9

See also

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

External links

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