Country: | Canada |
Type: | Public |
Location: | Niagara Falls, Ontario |
Num Branches: | 3 |
The Niagara Falls Public Library is a public library system in the Canadian city of Niagara Falls, Ontario. The library has three branches: Victoria Avenue, Stamford Centre, and the Community Centre.[1] There was a branch in Chippawa that has since closed. A bookmobile provides resources to different areas of the city.
In 2021, the library completely removed fines for patrons who were late in returning materials. If items are not returned within 28 days, they are charged a replacement fee.[2] In 2023, the library had 45,000 members, which was approximately half the city's population.[3] That year, the library digitized old resources such as VHS and audio cassette tapes for historical preservation.[4] The library has a program where gardeners are given free seeds.[5] There is also a program that offers fishing supplies and equipment.[6] There is a reading club for children each summer.[7]
In 2018, the Victoria branch received a donated piano as part of a broader project to display them in public spaces.[8] This branch is also the only one to lend musical instruments.[9] In 2022, the branch was used as a warming centre for homeless individuals during the winter.[10] In March 2024, the city council discussed whether some of the Victoria branch could be converted into housing for the homeless.[11] This prompted the library board, a separate entity that operates the libraries in the city, to send a letter in response. The letter expressed concerns about the idea and reiterated its autonomy.[12]
The Stamford library branch opened in 1957 on Portage Road and funding was originally provided by the Stamford Township Council. The library moved locations in 1962 and then again in 1974 where it currently stands. The branch was expanded in 1986.[13] In 2021, the Stamford branch closed for renovations. The COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario caused delays in its implementation. In 2023, A. N. Myer Secondary School was used as a temporary location for the branch.[14] The library branch reopened in April 2024.[15] A community fundraiser and 760,000 dollars from local casinos were used to fund these renovations.[16]
The first library in Chippawa opened in 1921. There was not a public library until 1967. This library cost 32,000 dollars and operated until 1984, when it was relocated into a larger building.[17] In May 2024, the Chippawa branch was closed permanently.[18] This branch will eventually be replaced. The branch's closure caused MPP Wayne Gates to make a statement in the Ontario legislature about the lack of library funding in the province.[19] One factor relating to its closure was the building's lack of accessibility. Chippewa library patrons were encouraged to use digital library resources instead and to borrow from the bookmobile that visits the Chippawa Willoughby Memorial Arena.[20] This bookmobile was launched a month before the closure and is a van equipped with books and other materials.[21] It runs six days a week and makes various stops throughout Niagara Falls.[22]