London Public Library

Last updated
London Public Library
LPL Logo & Photo.jpg
London Public Library
Location London, Ontario - Central Branch: 251 Dundas Street, Canada
Established1896
Branches16
Collection
Items collectedbusiness directories, phone books, maps, government publications, books, periodicals, genealogy, local history
Access and use
Circulation3,869,642 items borrowed 4,012,731 website visits
Population served2,737,988 annual visits
Other information
Budget$20,117,983
DirectorMichael Ciccone (CEO & Chief Librarian) [1]
Employees223
Website London Public Library Webpage and Catalogue

The London Public Library (LPL) is the public library system of London, Ontario, Canada. All 16 locations city-wide offer services and programs for adults, teens and children residing in London and the surrounding counties of Oxford, Middlesex, and Elgin. The branches includes art exhibits, author readings, a summer reading program, and health-oriented activities. [2] As of November 26, 2020, the London Public Library does not charge fines for overdue materials. [3]

Contents

Services

LPL provides many services to its patrons, such as the following:

Borrowing - Memberships, Limitations, and Fines

In order to borrow materials from the library, both physically and electronically, a membership is needed to the London Public Library. The library card provides access to materials at any of the 16 branches in the city, as well as access to many digital resources through the library's website.

Borrowing privileges are as follows: [7]

Materials which can be borrowed include: [8]

*Wireless Hotspots and Laptops must be returned within the seven-day loan period to ensure charges for the device are not applied to account.

Programs

In addition to over 140 scheduled programs, [2] the LPL offers year-round programming as well. Some these programs include:

Economic Impact

Based on an economic impact model developed by the Martin Prosperity Institute, the London Public Library estimates that for every dollar invested, Londoners receive $6.68 in value. In total, the LPL creates over $102 million in total economic impact for the city each year. [12]

History

The Mechanics Institute in London,Ontario c. 1860-1877 London Ontario, Mechanics Institute, 1860 1877.jpg
The Mechanics Institute in London,Ontario c. 1860-1877

London Mechanics' Institute was one of a series of Mechanic's Institutes that were set up around the world after becoming popular in Britain. [13] It housed a subscription library that allowed members who paid a fee to borrow books. The Mechanic's Institutes libraries eventually became public libraries when the establishment of free libraries occurred. [14]

The London Public Library opened in November 1896. The present-day Central Library was built in a remodelled space that formerly housed a Hudson's Bay outlet. The Central library opened in this location on August 25, 2002. This not only allowed for an economical expansion of the branch, but also offered the library a more central location in the city's downtown core. Additional outside donations enabled the construction of the Wolf Performance Hall, a concert hall which hosts music and theatre performances. The Central Library is also home to the Reading Garden which is equipped with seating and multiple water features.

From 2016 to 2017, the Central Branch was extensively renovated, its first major overhaul since it moved into CitiPlaza. [15] As part of this renovation, a portion of the branch's northern section was remodelled to become CBC Radio One's CBCL-FM's new broadcast studio for new local and regional programming such as London Morning and Afternoon Drive and as well as digital content.

Michael Ciccone is currently the 12th CEO of the London Public Library, succeeding Susanna Hubbard Krimmer in August 2019. Ciccone had earlier been executive director of the Centre for Equitable Library Access and, before that, director of collections at Hamilton Public Library.

On the morning of 13 December 2023, the London Public Library was the subject of a cyberattack that resulted in a major system outage. [16] On 3 January, 2024, it was revealed that employee data had been compromised during the attack. [17]

Branches

Westmount branch of the London Public Library London Public Library - Digital Bookmobile (3887344167).jpg
Westmount branch of the London Public Library

The London Public Library has 16 branches. [18] The branches are:

One Book, One London

One Book, One London is a region-wide book club that celebrates reading and brings people together as a community. The London Public Library spearheads this program annually. [20] It was temporarily suspended for 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Management Team | London Public Library".
  2. 1 2 "London Public Library Programs and Events". London Public Library. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Fine Free | London Public Library". www.londonpubliclibrary.ca. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  4. ↑ Visiting Library Service. London Public Library, November 2015.
  5. ↑ Book Club in a Bag. London Public Library, September 2018
  6. ↑ "Library Cards | London Public Library". www.londonpubliclibrary.ca. Retrieved 2018-10-01.
  7. ↑ "Information on Using Your Library". Access Magazine: 46. Fall 2018.
  8. ↑ "What Can I Borrow? | London Public Library". www.londonpubliclibrary.ca. Retrieved 2018-10-01.
  9. ↑ "Book a Librarian FAQs". London Public Library. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Encore -- Library Settlement Partnership". encore.londonpubliclibrary.ca. Retrieved 2018-10-01.
  11. ↑ nurun.com. "Library mental helpers book big numbers". The London Free Press. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
  12. ↑ "About My Library | London Public Library". www.londonpubliclibrary.ca. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  13. ↑ "London Public Library History". London Public Library. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  14. ↑ Harris, Michael. History Of Libraries In The Western World. 4th ed. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1995, p. 153.
  15. ↑ Dale Carruthers. "Construction has ended on a $4.5M makeover of London's Central library, its first major overhaul since it moved into CitiPlaza". The London Free Press . Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  16. ↑ "London Public Library still working to restore systems following cyberattack". CBC News. CBC News. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Employee data compromised in cyberattack at London Public Library". CBC News. CBC News. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Locations & Hours". Access Magazine: 47. Fall 2018.
  19. ↑ "Bostwick Community Centre". Bostwick Community Centre.
  20. ↑ nurun.com. "What's the one book all of London should read?". The London Free Press. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
  21. ↑ "Details released for 'One Book, One London' initiative". 980 CFPL. Retrieved 2018-10-02.

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