Must See Libraries in Canada

If you wish to sneak inside this cave of mystery, then here are the top 10 libraries in Canada. We have made sure to curate this list encompassing all captivating places to browse through the world of books. Have a look at them and make sure you visit as many as possible on your trip to Canada.

It has seldom happened that you read a book and garner no knowledge from it. No matter what the origin of the book is, it will always have something or the other to contribute to your life. To define it even better in T. S. Eliot’s words, “The very existence of libraries affords the best evidence that we may yet have hope for the future of man“. It is this constant flickering hope that drives bibliophiles to some of the best libraries in Canada. It has come to notice that even a cursory scan of the nation’s book collection proves that Canada harbours invaluable treasure in the name of libraries with a gazillion versatile books to read.

From one city to another, these libraries are an emblem of innovative designs. While some are them are narrators of history others are just an embodiment of cool and intriguing facts, filled with various shapes, sumptuous tales, and unexpected thrills like games rooms for people of all ages, yoga lounges for yoga lovers and even come an amazing virtual reality station.

Port Credit Branch Library, Mississauga, Ontario

In 1896, officials founded the Port Credit Branch Library. At first, it served locals from different parts of the country. Over time, it expanded its reach. Eventually, in 1962, the library settled into its permanent home at 20 Lakeshore Road East.

On June 9, 2021, the library decided upon shutting its gates to the public due to structural renovations. The library opened in the early 1960s with elegant windows designed to enhance its beauty. Over time, these windows became iconic, blending sophistication with functionality. The windows were supposed to open to the adjacent Credit River. However, the budget cuts in the structural renovation resulted in the formation of a solid concrete wall, instead.

Later, with the 2013 renovation, which caused to win a Governor General’s Medal for the architects RDHA, they successfully managed to correct the mistakes done earlier. This ultimately resulted in producing a far more picturesque and pristine look for the library. Do pay a visit to this artistically blooming venue and lose yourself in the company of celebrated books.

Halifax Central Library

The Halifax Central Library is a renowned public library located right in the heart of Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located towards the end of Spring Garden Road on Queen Street in Halifax.

The Halifax Public Libraries proudly showcase this library as their centerpiece. It officially replaced the Spring Garden Road Memorial Library, marking a new era for community learning. With its modern design and welcoming space, it continues to serve as a vital hub for readers and researchers alike. Even though “the boxy” structure of this library is nearly four years old, its architectural display talks volumes about the city’s native history; so much so that the 5th floor of the building dramatically branches out from the building separating the Halifax Harbour and the Halifax Citadel.

For breathtaking city views, visitors can explore the cantilever houses. Designers established an urban living room there to serve this exact purpose. It offers a comfortable space to admire the skyline and experience urban tranquility. 

Other than harbouring a rich collection of books stacked in its shelves, this new foundation also offers variety of amenities for the visitors such as cosy cafes, community rooms for various programs, and a very spacious auditorium. The most spectacular part of this building is the fifth floor’s cantilever situated right above the entrance plaza. The staircases dramatically criss-cross the central atrium highlighting the building’s transparency and its connotation of the urban context.

In the year 2014, due to its magnificent structure, the library managed to win a Lieutenant Governor Design Award in Architecture and a Governor General’s Medal in Architecture in the year 2016.

John. M Harper Library, Waterloo, Ontario

This striking modern library stands out for two key reasons. First, its bold pink color brightens the gym and roof. Second, it keeps book lovers torn between the beauty of their novels and the dazzling surroundings. The vibrant design turns reading into a truly immersive experience.

The architects described the library as a multipurpose space for both reading and recreation. They had to merge two separate programs. First, they needed to meet the needs of two distinct clients. Then, they had to strengthen community engagement. Balancing both goals was essential for the project’s success. The objective was primarily to bring about a balanced integrated facility in which several program elements converse at once through a range of strategic architectural nuances.

The library’s space includes study spaces for children, adults and teens and welcomes groups for flexible learning and community enhancement. There is also a very spacious computer research area meant for both advanced learning and recreational purposes.

Morrin Centre, Quebec City

The Morrin Centre is constructed over a military barracks and is based out of a prison-turned Presbyterian college. The Centre is primarily recognised as a Cultural Centre in the city of old Quebec, Canada. The library was designed to educate visitors about local history and modern culture. Moreover, it highlights the contributions of the English-speaking community. Consequently, it serves as both a learning space and a cultural hub. Ultimately, it connects the past with the present, enriching public awareness.

The library harbours a private English language space for the literary and historical society of Quebec, several heritage spaces for cultural events and a series of interpretation services for those interested.

The English language library has been home to the Morrin Centre since the year 1868. The library is now taken over by the literary and historical Society of Quebec, one of Canada’s oldest literary circles. So old that it was once upon a time hosted by our very own Charles Dickens. Surprising enough? The library is known to embalm books dating back to the 16th century. If you are a fan of visiting archaic places, then you should head over to Morrin Centre at once!

Vancouver Public Library

Vancouver Public Library is a renowned public library system built for the city of Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2013, more than 6.9 million visitors explored the Vancouver Public Library. So, they came from across the country and beyond. Patrons eagerly borrowed about 9.5 million items. These included CDs, DVDs, books, newspapers, newsletters, eBooks, and magazines. The library thrived as a hub for knowledge and culture.

Vancouver Public Library actively serves about 428,000 members. It operates at 22 locations, both online and offline. Today, it stands as Canada’s third-largest library. With its vast network, it continues to provide knowledge and resources to a growing community. This highly accommodating and well-stacked public library includes a healthy collection of innumerable books and digital content.

The library also offers a good deal of community information, various informative programs for children, adults, and the youth, and gives delivery support to people who are homebound individuals. Is it not amazing? In addition to these services, the library also offers access to beneficial information and reference services for various day-to-day requirements such as knowledge of text databases, interlibrary loan services and more.

Scarborough Civic Centre Library

 The Scarborough Civic Centre Branch is officially the 100th of the Toronto Public Library, representing what a library can supposedly look like in the 21st century. Technologically well-equipped, welcoming to an ever evolving and heterogeneous population, and celebrating spectacular designs, the branch transgresses its initial role serving as a local community sphere. It serves as the focus of commonality of pride for the city-dwellers at large.

The library extends till the southern side of the Scarborough Civic Centre, an emblem of sky-high white abstract shapes created in 1973 by designers Moriyama & Teshima. The library’s calculated position at the south end corner of the Civic Centre further accentuates its surroundings by creating several different spaces and connections. Very close to the library’s main entrance, tilted columns give birth to a new plaza on the Borough Drive line.

Towards the west end of the library, an urbanised garden embraces the edge of a magnificent pedestrian pathway. It gives way to a second front entrance to this Civic Centre Library. All in all, this library is a must-visit for its architectural brilliance and the designs it embalms.

Surrey Civic Centre Library, B. C.

The smooth-running lines of Surrey’s Civic Centre Library cannot be merely seen as the outcome of an architect’s imagination. Moreover, surrey residents played an active role in shaping the building’s foundation. Bing Thom Architects set up an idea-exchange planning process. Through collaboration, locals contributed their insights. Their participation helped create a space that truly reflects the community’s vision and needs. You can look them up on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr or Twitter.

The program accurately shows the requirements of the diverse community, such as the inclusion of a gaming room, a lounge meant for mediation and a space designed specifically for teens. Within the 82,000 square feet area, the Surrey City Centre Library encompasses a spacious children’s library, about 80 computers for public usage, 24/7 Wi-Fi, a sweet and simple coffee shop, and several quiet undisturbed rooms for individual study as well as separate spaces assigned for meetings of larger groups.

The building puts to use the dense urban population to its advantage, creating various scales of space that start from a grand entrance, reading rooms that are capable of orchestrating significant events to rooms with lower ceilings for stacks and, finally, small private rooms for study purposes.

Library of Parliament, Ottawa

It’s hard to figure out where to gaze inside this lavishly spread-out parliamentary library. Initially set up to help provide information to the Members of Parliament and their various staff. Designers crafted the library’s wooden stacks with delicate artistry. They carefully inlaid the floors to enhance its aesthetic charm. Meanwhile, the towering dome-shaped roof adds grandeur. Altogether, these elements transport visitors back to the Victorian age, reflecting the era’s elegance and craftsmanship. The Victorian era used to be a time when architecture was at its peak and buildings were as grandly decorated as a wedding cake.

The Library of Parliament is identified as the central information hub and research resource place for the Parliament of Canada. Since 1876, the site has seen many renovations. Over time, each upgrade refined its structure. Moreover, these changes preserved its historic charm. Consequently, the site blends tradition with modern innovation. Ultimately, it remains a symbol of lasting significance.

The last revamping took place between 2002 and 2006, even though the primary structure and the aesthetic continued to remain essentially authentic. So, the building now serves as the Canadian emblem and appears on the ten-dollar Canadian bill.

Vaughan Civic Centre Resources Library, Ont.

At Vaughan Civic Centre, you need not feared of speaking too loud because Vaughan’s newest library admires and respects hustlers. The library was inaugurated in the year 2016, and the best part about this library is that it welcomes modern adaptive forms of learning, such as including a recording booth and installing a virtual reality station. Designers crafted these learning spaces after an intensive brainstorming session. They envisioned ways to support evolving individuals and their ideas. They explored new possibilities in this digital age. The result is a dynamic environment that fosters creativity, collaboration, and growth.

We can call the makers of the Vaughan Civic Centre Resource Library visionary architects to bring about revolutionary changes in libraries so that it matches the expectations of digital progress. The library dedicates itself to community gathering, learning, participating in various activities and interacting over chosen topics.

The abstract geometry of the library in the form of a loop around the central courtyard is a metaphoric representation of complex ideas overlapping each other, something which the library celebrates and preaches.

Grande Bibliothèque, Montreal

The Grande Bibliothèque Library is a renowned public library in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The library’s display is part of Bibliotheque et Archives (BAnQ). The library’s collection comprises about four million works in total, which includes 1.14 million books, 1.6 million microfiches, and about 1.2 billion documents. Most of these works are written in French. Approximately 30% of it is in the English language, and the rest of the work exhibit a dozen different language.

The most bizarre fact about the library is that it has an eighty km long shelf space to accommodate the books. Not just this, but the library also harbours an exclusive multimedia collection which includes 70,000 music DVDs, 16000 hand-picked films on DVD and Blu-ray, 5000 music tracks and about 500 software programs, all available for borrowing. The library embraces inclusivity through its diverse collection and displays. A dedicated section holds about 50,000 documents. These include braille scripts and audiobooks, ensuring visually impaired individuals can access and enjoy a wide range of materials. Through thoughtful design, the library creates an inviting space for all readers.

The library is contemporary in its architectural style, with a four-storied building studded with U-shaped glass plates that have never been seen or used before in North America. The plates have been placed horizontally on a copper base to scale the height of the structure.

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