London Public Library

Library system in London, Ontario, Canada

The London Public Library (LPL) is the public library system of London, Ontario, Canada. All 16 locations city wide offer services and programs for adults, teens and children residing in London and the surrounding counties of Oxford, Middlesex, and Elgin. The branches includes art exhibits, author readings, a summer reading program, and health oriented activities. As of November 26, 2020, the London Public Library does not charge fines for overdue materials.

Based on an economic impact model developed by the Martin Prosperity Institute, the London Public Library estimates that for every dollar invested, Londoners receive $6.68 in value. In total, the LPL creates over $102 million in total economic impact for the city each year.

London Mechanics' Institute was one of a series of Mechanic's Institutes that were set up around the world after becoming popular in Britain. It housed a subscription library that allowed members who paid a fee to borrow books. The Mechanic's Institutes libraries eventually became public libraries when the establishment of free libraries occurred. The London Public Library opened in November 1896. The present day Central Library was built in a remodelled space that formerly housed a Hudson's Bay outlet. The Central library opened in this location on August 25, 2002. This not only allowed for an economical expansion of the branch, but also offered the library a more central location in the city's downtown core. Additional outside donations enabled the construction of the Wolf Performance Hall, a concert hall which hosts music and theatre performances. The Central Library is also home to the Reading Garden which is equipped with seating and multiple water features. From 2016 to 2017, the Central Branch was extensively renovated, its first major overhaul since it moved into CitiPlaza. As part of this renovation, a portion of the branch's northern section was remodelled to become CBC Radio One's CBCL FM's new broadcast studio for new local and regional programming such as London Morning and Afternoon Drive and as well as digital content. Michael Ciccone is currently the 12th CEO of the London Public Library, succeeding Susanna Hubbard Krimmer in August 2019. Ciccone had earlier been executive director of the Centre for Equitable Library Access and, before that, director of collections at Hamilton Public Library. On the morning of 13 December 2023, the London Public Library was the subject of a cyberattack that resulted in a major system outage. On 3 January, 2024, it was revealed that employee data had been compromised during the attack.