Guelph Public Library

One of the first municipally supported libraries formed in Ontario following passage of the Free Libraries Act of 1882, the Guelph Public Library was established on February 10, 1883. It replaced the limited library service which for several decades had been available to the community through the Farmers' and Mechanics' Institute. Dedicated to the idea of educating the workingman, the Institute had sponsored lectures and classes and provided a reference and circulating library for members. In March 1883 its assets were formally transferred to the newly-created public library. The library occupied various sites until 1905 when a permanent building was erected here. Housed in the present structure since 1965, the Guelph Public Library remains a major source of information and recreational reading for this community.