| Aurora Public Library | |
|---|---|
 Interior of the Aurora Public Library | |
| 43°59′49″N 79°28′00″W / 43.99694°N 79.46667°W / 43.99694; -79.46667 | |
| Location | 15145 Yonge Street Aurora, Ontario, Canada L4G 1M1 |
| Established | 1855 |
| Collection | |
| Size | Over 150,000 |
| Access and use | |
| Circulation | 550,000 |
| Population served | Local population of Aurora, Ontario |
| Other information | |
| Director | Bruce Gorman |
| Website | aurorapl.ca |
The Aurora Public Library is located in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. The library has a collection of more than 150,000 items and has over 31,000 registered users.
Timeline of history
- 1820s: A free library was organized by local Quakers.
- 1855: Aurora Association for the Diffusion of Helpful Knowledge formed, later called the Aurora Mechanics Institute and Library Association. The association provided weekly lectures and concerts rather than lending books.
- 1863: The library had a collection of 500 books and was open for two hours each Friday.
- 1868: The association built The Mechanics Hallis built at the southeast corner of Mosley and Victoria Streets. It was used for lectures and concerts but also as a library reading room.
- 1895: A Public Library Association was formed with a Board of Management appointed by the Town Council.
- 1920: The library assets were absorbed into a Municipal Public Library under the Free Public Libraries Act and the library moved to the Town Hall on the northeast corner of Yonge and Mosley Streets.
- 1926: A children's section was added to the library, but children were only allowed on Saturday afternoons.
- 1945: The library moved to Health Hall, now called Victoria Hall, on the southwest corner of Mosley and Victoria Streets.
- 1963: The library moved to a new dedicated building of 4,500 square feet (420 m) at 56 Victoria Street as part of Aurora's centennial.
- 1967: The collection size was 14,900 and there were 5,236 members.
- 1979 A 13,000-square-foot (1,200 m) extension was finished, designed to serve a population of 20,000.
- 2001 The library moved to its current location, a 44,375-square-foot (4,122.6 m) facility on the northeast corner of Yonge and Church Streets.
In 2018, work began on a renovation project to create a multi-purpose room and a creative studio, to update the children's area, to improve lighting, and to create a new seating and new living room-style area.
On 11 April 2020, the library laid off 28 of its 33 employees as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
See also
References
- Bloomfield, Elizabeth P.; Bloomfield, Gerald T. (1983). Urban growth and local services: The development of Ontario municipalities to 1981. Department of Geography, University of Guelph. ISBN 0-88955-020-4.
- Latchford, Teresa (2 October 2018). "Aurora Public Library undergoing $2.2M reno to become 'community living room'". Aurora Banner. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- Queen, Lisa (10 April 2020). "'I feel terrible': Aurora Public Library blames coronavirus for layoffs". Aurora Banner. Retrieved 1 May 2021.