The London Public Library 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.
Services
LPL provides many services to its patrons, such as the following:
Information and reference services to assist patrons in locating specific library materials
Community resources
Internet access
Reader's advisory services for read-alike suggestions
Programming for children, teens and adults
Visiting Library Services
Interlibrary Loans for materials not available at LPL but found in another library system outside of it
Book Club in a Bag
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.
Library cards are free to all London and area residents, excluding Woodstock
Paid subscription membership cards are available to those who live outside of the areas mentioned above
Borrowing privileges are as follows:
A maximum of 60 items may be signed out to a patron at a time
A maximum of 20 DVDs may be signed out at a time
A 3-item card, as well as a "Computer Only" card are possible in special scenarios
Most items can be borrowed for three weeks and renewed up to three times, provided there are no holds on them for other patrons
Quickpicks, adult magazines, and feature films may only be signed out for one week, with no renewals allowed on Quickpicks due to their popular demand
Overdue items accumulate fines at a rate of 15 cents/item daily for teens and seniors, and 30 cents/item daily for adults
Children's cards are fine free, only subject to costs associated with a missing or damaged item
*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, the LPL offers year-round programming as well. Some these programs include:
Book a Librarian - offers individual, 1-on-1 help for anyone seeking to learn how to use the library and/or library resources for their research. One hour sessions are available in person at the branches, with a maximum of two sessions/person each month. In the first year of this pilot program in 2015, over 220 "Book a Librarian" sessions took place.
Library Settlement Partnership - multilingual LSP workers assist newcomers with information regarding housing, immigration, and healthcare at Jalna and Beacock locations
The Welcome Centre - in June 2017, the LPL in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association, began an outreach program that sees two mental health workers hosting a table on the 3rd floor of the Central branch every Wednesday from 9:30am-5pm.
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.
History
London Mechanics’ Institute was one of a series of Mechanic's Institutes that were set up around the world after becoming popular in Britain. 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. The London Public Library opened in November 1896. The present-day Central Library was built in a remodeled 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. As part of this renovation, a portion of the branch's northern section was remodeled 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. Susanna Hubbard Krimmer is currently the 11th CEO of the London Public Library and only the second woman to hold that position.
Branches
The London Public Library has 16 branches. The branches are:
One Book, One London is a region wide book club that celebrates reading and brings people together as a community. London Public Library actively takes part in this program annually.
2018: Brother by David Chariandy
2017: Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper
