Kitchener Public Library

{{Infobox library

| library_name = Kitchener Public Library

| library_logo =

| image = Central Library Kitchener Ontario April 2015.jpg

| image_size = 250

| caption = Central Library in downtown Kitchener

| location = 85 Queen Street North,
Kitchener, Ontario N2H 2H1

| established = 1884

| num_branches = 6

| items_collected = business directories, phone books, maps, government publications, books, periodicals, genealogy, local history,

| collection_size = 580,000 books
5,000 audiovisuals
107,000 square feet

| annual_circulation = 2,000,000

| pop_served = 200,000
1,000,000 (annual visits)
600,000 (annual web visits)

| budget = $9.2m

| director = Darren Solomon

| num_employees =

| website = {{URL|http://www.kpl.org/}}

}}

The Kitchener Public Library is the public library system for the city of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. It consists of six libraries; a large Central Library in the downtown core, with five Community Libraries spread out to provide services for the neighbourhoods of Kitchener.

History

The main branch of the Kitchener Public Library opened at 85 Queen Street in May 1962. Its origins date back to the Mechanics Institute first established in 1854, that grew within the first year to nearly 1,000 books in German and English. It was a Carnegie library.{{cite web |last1=Bushell |first1=Gayle |title=Berlin (Kitchener) Carnegie Library |url=https://publish.uwo.ca/~gbushel/carnegielibrariesofwaterlooregion/waterlooregioncarnegielibraries/berlinkitchener.html |website=The Carnegie Libraries of Waterloo Region |publisher=University of Waterloo |access-date=23 January 2024}} The collection, maintained by membership fees and private subscriptions, was destroyed by fire in the 1860s and was replaced in 1871 by a library located on the first floor of the town hall. The Berlin Public Library was officially formed in 1884 following the passing of the Free Libraries Act two years prior.

The present library replaced the Berlin Public Library which originally opened in 1884 with a collection of 2,855 volumes on the first floor of the town hall. The Berlin Public Library was moved when it became a Carnegie library, opening on January 8, 1904, which was located at Queen and Weber.Uttley, W. V. A History of Kitchener, Ontario. Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 1975{{cite news |title=Library observing its 100th birthday |url=https://digital.library.uwaterloo.ca/uwdl-cb89f5c4-185c-43c1-bd11-c357881ca79a/kitcheners-first-100-years#page/18/mode/1up/search/%22library+observing%22 |access-date=27 November 2020 |work=The Record |date=22 June 1954 |page=18}} Mabel Dunham served as Chief Librarian at the new location from 1908 to 1944.{{cite web |title=Mabel Dunham Biography |url=http://cfuwkw.org/index.php?page=mabel-dunham-biography |website=cfuwkw.org |accessdate=26 October 2020 |archive-date=26 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026223807/http://cfuwkw.org/index.php?page=mabel-dunham-biography |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |title=Mabel Dunham |url=https://uwaterloo.ca/mennonite-archives-ontario/personal-collections/mabel-dunham |website=Mennonite Archives of Ontario |accessdate=26 October 2020 |language=en |date=26 March 2018}} The Carnegie library was demolished following the opening of the Queen Street location in 1962.{{cite web|last1=Bushell|first1=Gayle|title=Berlin (Kitchener) Carnegie Library|url=http://publish.uwo.ca/~gbushel/carnegielibrariesofwaterlooregion/waterlooregioncarnegielibraries/berlinkitchener.html|website=publish.uwo.ca|publisher=University of Western Ontario|accessdate=16 April 2017|date=2011}}

=Expansion=

In 2010 the main branch underwent a $40 million 25,000-square-foot expansion. Completed in 2013, the project increased floor space by 30% (from around 82,000 square feet to 107,000 square feet), and made the entire building wheelchair accessible.{{cite news|last1=Pender|first1=T|title=Kitchener library expansion underway|url=http://www.therecord.com/news-story/2575076-kitchener-library-expansion-underway/|accessdate=16 April 2017|work=The Record|date=18 May 2011}} Designed by Levitt Goodman Architects, the building was awarded a 2015 Library Architectural and Design Transformation award by the Ontario Library Association.{{cite web|title=Building Award Winners|url=http://www.accessola.org/web/OLA/Membership/Awards_ola/Recipients/Building_Award_Winners.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417073529/http://www.accessola.org/web/OLA/Membership/Awards_ola/Recipients/Building_Award_Winners.aspx|url-status=usurped|archive-date=April 17, 2017|website=www.accessola.org|publisher=OLA|accessdate=16 April 2017}}

In 2015 the Kitchener Public Library became the first library in Canada to lend out internet Hotspots.Thompson, Catherine. "KPL Is First Library in Canada to Lend out Internet Hot Spot Devices." Waterloo Regional Record, 8 Oct. 2015.

Branches

File:Pioneer Park Library.jpg

The Kitchener Public Library system consists of a Central Library in the downtown core, and five Community Library locations throughout the city. The Central Library was completely renovated and expanded in 2014.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Branch	Founded	Present building opened	Attached public facility
Central \| 1884 \|\| 1962 (expansion opened 2014) \|\| Standalone
Grand River Stanley Park \| 1971 \|\| 2002 \|\| Grand River Collegiate Institute
Forest Heights \| 1976 \|\| 1976 \|\| Forest Heights Community Pool; Forest Heights Collegiate Institute
Pioneer Park \| 1982 \|\| 1989 \|\| Doon-Pioneer Park Community Centre
Country Hills \| 2004 \|\| 2004 \|\| St. Mary's High School
Southwest \| 2025 \|\| 2025 \|\| Standalone

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

Branch

Founded

Present building opened

Attached public facility

Central

| 1884 || 1962 (expansion opened 2014) || Standalone

Grand River Stanley Park

| 1971 || 2002 || Grand River Collegiate Institute

Forest Heights

| 1976 || 1976 || Forest Heights Community Pool; Forest Heights Collegiate Institute

Pioneer Park