Vaughan Public Libraries
Encyclopedia
Vaughan Public Libraries (VPL) is a public library
system consisting of seven libraries in the city of Vaughan
in Ontario
, Canada
. It has a collection of more than 534,000 items and serves over 1.7 million visitors a year. VPL has seven branch locations, including two resource libraries. The Bathurst Clark Resource Library opened in 1994, and houses VPL’s administration offices. Pierre Berton Resource Library opened in 2004. A third resource library is planned for the Civic Centre campus at the intersection of Keele Street
and Major Mackenzie Drive. VPL serves the growing multicultural community of Vaughan by offering collections in Chinese, Persian
, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Tamil, and Urdu, in addition to French and English.
The current Chief Executive Officer of Vaughan Public Libraries is Margie Singleton.
, Newmarket Public Library, Richmond Hill Public Library
, and Markham Public Library. All other people may acquire a membership by paying an annual fee of $80.00.
Adult Basic Literacy – This is a collection for adult learners. It includes books, kits of books and audio, Internet links, and databases. Adult Basic Literacy collections are available at all locations.
Black Heritage - Vaughan Public Libraries' Black Heritage Collection was begun on February 25, 1989. It was the first of its kind in York Region, and is housed at Dufferin Clark Library.
Cinema Collection - This collection is housed at Pierre Berton Resource Library and Bathurst Clark Resource Library. It features the work of important directors from around the world and films not made by the major studios or with big Hollywood budgets. Award winning films from world cinema festivals can be found in this collection.
English as a Second Language – This collection includes books, DVDs, and kits of books and audio or CD-ROM to meet the needs English Language learners. Of particular note are book chat sets of short novels at various learning levels, and TOEFL, IELTS, and other test preparation materials.
Government Documents – Housed at the Bathurst Clark Resource Library, the Government Documents collection offers access to Federal and Provincial Government documents, including statistics, policy and research papers, and other historical records.
Local Studies – This collection is especially useful for genealogists, those wishing to construct family trees, and local researchers needing access to current and historical municipal documents. The Local Studies Collection assists contains informaiton concerning the history of Vaughan as a township, a town and finally a city. This collection now features VPL’s first digital local history project “Villages to City: An Oral History of Vaughan”.
Professional Collection – The professional collection offers access to resources for public and school library professionals. Topics covered range from program planning, to collection development, to library management. The professional collection is housed at the Bathurst Clark Resource Library.
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
system consisting of seven libraries in the city of Vaughan
Vaughan
Vaughan is a city in York Region north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Vaughan is the fastest growing municipality in Canada achieving a population growth rate of 80.2% between 1996–2006, according to Statistics Canada having nearly doubled in population since 1991. Vaughan is located in Southern...
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It has a collection of more than 534,000 items and serves over 1.7 million visitors a year. VPL has seven branch locations, including two resource libraries. The Bathurst Clark Resource Library opened in 1994, and houses VPL’s administration offices. Pierre Berton Resource Library opened in 2004. A third resource library is planned for the Civic Centre campus at the intersection of Keele Street
Keele Street
Keele Street is a north-south road in Toronto and York Region in Ontario, Canada. It stretches 47km, running from Bloor Street in Toronto to the Holland Marsh. South of Bloor Street, the roadway is today known as Parkside Drive, but was originally part of Keele Street...
and Major Mackenzie Drive. VPL serves the growing multicultural community of Vaughan by offering collections in Chinese, Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Tamil, and Urdu, in addition to French and English.
The current Chief Executive Officer of Vaughan Public Libraries is Margie Singleton.
Branches
The branches of Vaughan Public Library are:| Branch | Location | Collection Size |
|---|---|---|
| Ansley Grove Library | 350 Ansley Grove Road, Woodbridge Woodbridge, Ontario Woodbridge is a large suburban community in the City of Vaughan, just north of Toronto in Southern Ontario. It was once an independent town before being amalgamated with nearby communities to form the city in 1971. Its traditional downtown core is the Woodbridge Ave... , ON L4L 5C9 |
55,687 |
| Bathurst Clark Resource Library | 900 Clark Avenue West, Thornhill Thornhill, Ontario Thornhill is a community in the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the northern border of the city of Toronto. Once a municipal village, Thornhill is now a community and postal designation geographically split into two municipalities along Yonge Street, the city of... , ON L4J 8C1 |
148,398 |
| Dufferin Clark Library | 1441 Clark Avenue West, Thornhill, ON L4J 7R4 | 61,084 |
| Kleinburg Library | 10341 Islington Avenue N., Kleinburg Kleinburg, Ontario -External links:* * *... , ON L0J 1C0 |
23,441 |
| Maple Library | 10190 Keele Street, Maple Maple, Ontario Maple is a high-growth suburban community northwest of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, part of the city of Vaughan in York Region.-Geography:The west branch of the Don River rises to the northwest and flows 1 km west of Maple. Several creeks are to the east and the Black Creek begins slightly west... , ON L6A 1G3 |
79,830 |
| Pierre Berton Resource Library | 4921 Rutherford Road, Woodbridge, ON L4L 1A6 | 117,212 |
| Woodbridge Library | 150 Woodbridge Avenue, Woodbridge, ON L4L 2S7 | 48,767 |
Membership
Free library memberships are available for those who live, work, attend school full-time or own property in the city of Vaughan. VPL also offer free membership to members of Aurora Public Library, Caledon Public Library, King Township Public LibraryKing Township Public Library
The King Township Public Library is a public library system that serves King Township, Ontario in Canada. It consists of four branches located at:* King City* Nobleton* Schomberg* Ansnorveldt...
, Newmarket Public Library, Richmond Hill Public Library
Richmond Hill Public Library
The Richmond Hill Public Library is the organisation that runs public libraries in the town of Richmond Hill, Ontario.- History :The Richmond Hill Library Association formed in 1852 under the provisions of the previous year's provincial An Act respecting Library Associations and Mechanics...
, and Markham Public Library. All other people may acquire a membership by paying an annual fee of $80.00.
Services
Members of Vaughan Public Libraries have access to a diverse collection of resources including books, media, electronic databases, and other library services.Borrowing privileges
Holdings are loaned to a patron for a period of time dependent on the type of item borrowed:| Item Types | Loan Period |
|---|---|
| Books, Talking Books, CDs, eBook Readers, Non-fiction Videos & DVDs | 3 weeks |
| Bestsellers | 2 weeks |
| Magazines | 7 days |
| Fiction Videos & DVDs | 7 days |
| Fast Track Books | 7 days |
| Fast Track Audio-Visual | 3 days |
Other Services
- WiFi Access
- Public Internet access workstations
- Public Microsoft Office workstations
- Email Librarian
- AskON live chat research help services
- Business resources
- Community information
- Job/Career resources
- Information and reference services
- Access to full-text databases
- Programs for children, teens, adults, and seniors
- Computer training suite and boardroom
- Meeting room rentals
- Exam proctoring
- Study rooms
- Volunteer opportunities
- Interlibrary loan services
- Photocopiers/Printers available
- Adult Basic Literacy
- English as a Second Language
- Overdrive Digital Collection
- Multilingual Collections
Special Collections
Special collections at VPL include:Adult Basic Literacy – This is a collection for adult learners. It includes books, kits of books and audio, Internet links, and databases. Adult Basic Literacy collections are available at all locations.
Black Heritage - Vaughan Public Libraries' Black Heritage Collection was begun on February 25, 1989. It was the first of its kind in York Region, and is housed at Dufferin Clark Library.
Cinema Collection - This collection is housed at Pierre Berton Resource Library and Bathurst Clark Resource Library. It features the work of important directors from around the world and films not made by the major studios or with big Hollywood budgets. Award winning films from world cinema festivals can be found in this collection.
English as a Second Language – This collection includes books, DVDs, and kits of books and audio or CD-ROM to meet the needs English Language learners. Of particular note are book chat sets of short novels at various learning levels, and TOEFL, IELTS, and other test preparation materials.
Government Documents – Housed at the Bathurst Clark Resource Library, the Government Documents collection offers access to Federal and Provincial Government documents, including statistics, policy and research papers, and other historical records.
Local Studies – This collection is especially useful for genealogists, those wishing to construct family trees, and local researchers needing access to current and historical municipal documents. The Local Studies Collection assists contains informaiton concerning the history of Vaughan as a township, a town and finally a city. This collection now features VPL’s first digital local history project “Villages to City: An Oral History of Vaughan”.
Professional Collection – The professional collection offers access to resources for public and school library professionals. Topics covered range from program planning, to collection development, to library management. The professional collection is housed at the Bathurst Clark Resource Library.