About the Library

In this section

• Jobs at the Library
• Doing Business with the Library
• Vision, Mission & Values
• tpl: Opens Doors
• Customer Feedback Standards & Practices
• History of Toronto Public Library
• Library Board
• Advisory Councils
• Strategic Plans, Annual Reports & Statistics
• Service Plans, Strategies, Frameworks & Reports
• Library Finance

About TPL

Toronto Public Library is the busiest urban public library system in the world. Every year, we have millions of users visiting our branches and taking advantage of our online services.

We empower Torontonians to thrive in the digital age and global knowledge economy. With expanded access to technology, lifelong learning and diverse cultural and leisure experiences, Torontonians have increased opportunities for growth and success, as well as stronger connections to each other and their communities.

To learn about Toronto Public Library's internal structure, please see our organizational charts (PDF)

Key Facts 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic continued to significantly impact library services in 2021. In the first half of the year, branches were closed for 19 weeks, as mandated by the Province.

• We had more than 4 million branch visits.
• Almost 1.2 million people are registered Toronto Public Library cardholders.
• Collections are comprised of 10.6 million items including books, CDs, DVDs and eBooks, with 40 languages represented in library material.
• Torontonians borrowed library materials more than 24.2 million times.
• There were 33.3 million visits to TPL online platforms, with almost 17.9 million visits to tpl.ca
• There were 3.1 million wireless sessions in library branches.
• 15,000 participants attended 2,400+ in-person library programs. We offered 2,400 online programs with total views and attendance of almost 114,000.
• Over 114,000 people registered for a library card; 44,260 registrations were done online for a Digital Access Card.
• 10 million holds were placed at our 100 branches and through the website.
• There were 69,000 items borrowed through our Home Library Service.
• We distributed 1,000 wireless hotspot devices.