Toronto Public Library (TPL) is apublic library system inToronto,Ontario. It is the largest public library system in Canada, and in 2023 had averaged a higher circulation per capita than any other public library system internationally, making it the largest neighbourhood-based library system in the world.^[6][7] Within North America, it also had the highest circulation and visitors when compared to other large urban systems.^[8] Established as the library of theMechanics' Institute in 1830, the Toronto Public Library now consists of 100 branch libraries^[1] and has over 26 million items in its collection.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Toronto Public Library
Location	Toronto,Ontario, Canada
Established	1884
Branches	100[1]
Collection
Size	10.6 million (2021)[2]
Access and use
Circulation	26.6 million (2023)[3]
Population served	3M (2024)[4]
Members	2M[3]
Other information
Budget	$252M (2024)[5]
Director	Vickery Bowles (City Librarian)
Employees	2,000
Parent organization	City of Toronto
Website	www.torontopubliclibrary.ca

The first subscription library service to open in the city was on 9 December 1810, atElmsley House.^[12] During theBurning of York in April 1813, several American officers under CommodoreIssac Chauncey's command looted books from the library. Discovering his officers were in possession of the stolen books after they returned toSackets Harbor, Chauncey ordered the looted books returned toYork. The stolen books were returned in two crates, although by the time they arrived, the library had already closed. The books were auctioned off in 1822.^[12]

In 1830, a library was established in theYork Mechanics' Institute. In 1882, the provincial legislature, under PremierOliver Mowat,^[13] passedThe Free Libraries Act, 1882.^[14][15] A public campaign for a free library in Toronto preceded a referendum on the question, held on 1 January 1883, in which Torontonians voted in favour of creating a city library.^[13] AldermanJohn Hallam, whom historian Barbara Myrvold describes as having an "almost idolatrous regard for books", was a principal booster for the new library.^[16]

In 1884, the Mechanic's Institute's collection became the Toronto Public Library.James Bain was the first chief librarian and he supplemented the collection with $15,000 worth of books purchased on a trip to England in late 1883.^[17]

Between 1907 and 1916, ten libraries were built with funds from theAndrew Carnegie Trust.^[18] Several of theseCarnegie libraries continue to be used by the public library; one, the original Central Reference Library, is now theKoffler Student Centre at theUniversity of Toronto.^[19]

Henry Cummings Campbell was Chief Librarian of the Toronto Public Library from 1956 to 1978, and the first Chief Librarian to hold a professional library degree. He is credited with having contributed to the expansion of the library and its adaptation to an increasingly dynamic and multicultural city.^[20]

During theamalgamation of Metropolitan Toronto in 1998, the individual library systems of all the Metro municipalities and of Metro itself were merged into the Toronto system:^[21][22]

• East York Public Library, established 1967, 5 branches
• Etobicoke Public Library, established 1950, 13 branches
• North York Public Library, established 1955, 19 branches
• Scarborough Public Library, established 1955, 19 branches
• York Public Library, established 1967, 6 branches
• Metropolitan Toronto Public Library, established 1967, 1 branch
• Theold Toronto Public Library, established 1883, 33 branches

This made the Toronto Public Library the largest library system in North America, serving a population of 2.3 million people with 98 branches at the time.

In 2004, a new library was opened in theSt. James Town neighbourhood of Toronto, bringing the total number of branches to 99. In 2014, the city's 100th library was constructed and opened inScarborough City Centre.^[23]

The Toronto Public Library ended late fines on borrowed items in 2022, saying that late fines "aren't effective in encouraging the return of materials and represent a barrier to library use."^[24]

On 27 October 2023, aransomware attack was detected which brought down various online services, including the TPL website.^[25][26][27] While the library remained open with wireless internet available, public computers and services on its website were offline. Confidential information of some staff members was exposed in the breach.^[28]

The Toronto Public Library is governed by a board appointed byToronto City Council. The board is composed of eight citizen members, four city councillors and the mayor or his or her designate.^[29]

The library's collection count is over 12 million items.^[8][9]

Toronto Public Library's special collections is located in several branches throughout the city. A number of special collections are housed at the Marilyn & Charles Baillie Special Collections Centre in the Toronto Reference Library.^[30] Special collections at the reference library includes the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection, and the Baldwin Collection of Canadiana.^[31][32]

Special collections located at other branches of the Toronto Public Library Merril Collection of Science Fiction, and theOsborne Collection of Early Children's Books, located atLillian H. Smith branch.^[33][34] The Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection is spread throughout four branches of TPL, Malvern, Maria A. Shchuka, Parkdale, York Woods branch.^[35]

The TPL operates two Bookmobile buses (24' Blue Bird CS), targeting communities who lack easy access to a neighbourhood branch. There are 32 regular Bookmobile stops in Toronto, including one onWard's Island.^[36] The bookmobile concept was previously used in the library systems of the former municipalities ofNorth York andScarborough as well as in Toronto as far back as 1948.^[37]

Since April 2016, the Parkdale branch has a collection of musical instruments including guitars, violins, keyboards, percussion instruments, and others that can be borrowed for free with a library card. Since then, the Musical Instrument Lending Libraries have expanded to the Downsview and York Woods branches.^[38]

Adult residents of Toronto can reserve a pass to a number of Toronto attractions with their library cards — one pass each per year to each participating destination. On the first of each month, a limited number of dates become available for the succeeding month (i.e. September passes become available on August 1), and eligible card holders make a reservation for a specific date. The number of visitors who can share a pass varies according to the attraction. Passes for popular sites, such as theToronto Zoo, the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) and theOntario Science Centre, are often in very high demand.^[39]

The Toronto Public Library technology services include public access computers and free wireless internet access in all branches. The Library also provides access toe-books, music, movies, and other electronic collections. All libraries also include at least one black-and-white printer where users are charged $0.15 per page. The Toronto Reference Library holds the only public colour printer in the system. The Toronto Public Library website allows users to reserve materials and have them transferred to the user's preferred branch.^[40] The library also operates a Dial-a-Story telephone hotline, which reads stories to children in sixteen languages.^[41]

The library system uses NFC pads on each book where users only need to place the book on a table and checks out without scanning.

Ten branches of the Toronto Public Library also house Digital Innovation Hubs, where patrons can reserve a workstation or equipment and attend workshops to bring new and emerging technology to the community.^[42]

In 2018, the Fabrication Studio opened at the newly renovated North York Central branch.^[43] This space includes sewing machines, a serger, an embroidery machine, a button maker, and a vinyl printer/cutter.^[44] They also offer free classes on using the equipment and other fabrication-related topics like knitting and crochet, embroidery, and watercolor painting.^[45]

Toronto Public Library cardholders can digitally borrow books, music and movies since 2014 by creating an account on the online platformHoopla.^[46] Also, since 2018, the Toronto Public Library has partnered withKanopy, a streaming platform with over 30,000 films and documentaries, that lets the library users stream up to eight items per month after registering using their library card.^[47][48]

The library'sDigital Archive provides instant access to historical images—including photographs from the Toronto Star Photograph Archive—postcards, maps, rare digitized books and more.^[49]

The Toronto Public Library offersaudiobook,e-book, and eMagazine services, includingOverDrive eBooks & eAudiobooks, Zinio eMagazines, OneClick Digital eAudiobooks,Safari Tech & Business Books Online, TumbleBook Library,Ebsco eBooks, delivered via the library's website.^[50]

As of June 2024, the Toronto Public Library's website is blocked inmainlandChina.^[51]

3 branches of the library system offer performance theatres available for both non-profit community and commercial usage.^[52][53]

The Toronto Public Library had an operating budget of $206,880,105 in 2019.^[54]

The Toronto Public Library had an operating budget of $217,334,410 in 2020.^[55]

The Toronto Public Library had an operating budget of $221,576,307 in 2021.^[56]

The Toronto Public Library had an operating budget of $228,305,383 in 2022.^[57]

The Toronto Public Library had an operating budget of $234,610,258 in 2023.^[58]

The Toronto Public Library had an operating budget of $252,293,362 in 2024.^[59]

• Children's Books History Society
• List of Carnegie libraries in Canada
• List of public libraries in Ontario

• Bruce, Lorne (9 January 1994).Free Books for All: The Public Library Movement in Ontario, 1850–1930. Dundurn.ISBN 978-1459721074.
• Myrvold, Barbara (1986). "The First Hundred Years: Toronto Public Library, 1883–1983". In McNally, Peter F. (ed.).Readings in Canadian Library History. Ottawa:Canadian Library Association. pp. 65–89.ISBN 978-0-88802-196-0.

• Penman, Margaret (1983).A Century of Service: Toronto Public Library, 1883-1983. Toronto: Toronto Public Library.ISBN 978-0-919486-73-7.

• Official website