Guelph Public Library

About

Guelph Public Library ensures free, inclusive, and equitable access to lifelong learning opportunities for all that enrich, improve, and transform lives.

Open to everyone, we welcome more than 1 million visits each year across all ages, abilities, backgrounds, and socioeconomic status’ – ensuring endless ways for community members to explore the world, enhance their well-being, and connect with the community and other important resources.

Celebrating historic roots, while also evolving services to support a growing and changing community, the GPL system strengthens people and neighbourhoods through its main library, five 5 branch locations, and a mobile Bookmobile service.

In 2023:

we welcomed more than 1.99 million people through our doors
23 million items were checked out (an average of 6,308 each day)
25,954 participants attended 1,294 programs
we connected folks to technology and online resources more than 1.57 million times
nearly 9,000 new cardholders joined the library

We believe in a thriving community, created together – and know that a strong community is created when all people have access to lifelong learning opportunities and tools that empower them to shine brightly.

Our Impact

Once places for just books, public libraries are now places to access nearly everything: connecting people with a wealth of resources that make their lives better.

In doing so, libraries act as community builders, centers for diverse populations, and champions of lifelong learning.

Our system offers accessible resources, programming, technologies, and services in a variety of formats that educate, engage, and entertain, and access to collections, tools, and outreach opportunities that few in the community could afford on their own.

We introduce children to the joy of reading, welcome newcomers into the community, teach digital skills that enable people to connect, extend outreach services to those who would otherwise be without – and so much more.

The pandemic underscored the crucial role of public libraries as community hubs and their importance in bridging digital and socioeconomic divides, empowering lifelong learning, and ensuring all citizens remain connected and supported especially during challenging times.

Equal access to library offerings now means more than ever – attested to by steadily rising usage levels and the 1000’s of people who rely on our services every day to enrich, improve, and transform their lives.

Simply put, no other institution can do what the public library can.

How your gift will be used

Every gift to the Guelph Public Library is an investment in potential.

Large or small, ALL gifts have the power to directly enrich, improve, and transform lives – making so many stories possible across the community.

Andrew Carnegie said, “There was no use to which money could be applied so productive of good to boys and girls who have good within them and ability and ambition to develop it, as the founding of a public library.”

Those words still ring true today.

Every $1 invested into a public library generates $6 in community economic impact – a return of over 600%! This impact is significantly magnified when the social value of libraries in addressing literacy, educational outcomes, workforce development, culture, and the health of democracy is considered.

Donations fund priority needs not covered by tax dollars enhancing the lives of children, adults, seniors, and families across the community,

Your gift will generate the most spectacular return. It will build the future of our library and entire community ensuring the Guelph Public Library remains the place where new discoveries and opportunities are ignited. A place that will create awe, uplift those within it, and make a difference in lives every single day.