GUELPH PUBLIC LIBRARY
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Mission Statement
Guelph Public Library (GPL) helps build a thriving community every single day. Our mission is to ensure free, inclusive, and equitable access to lifelong learning opportunities for all that enrich, improve, and transform lives. By turning barriers into bridges, we empower people of all ages, abilities, backgrounds, and socioeconomic status’ to explore the world, enhance their well-being, and connect with the community and other important resources. At Guelph Public Library, we aspire to create a thriving community where knowledge, creativity, and connection serve as foundations for opportunity and growth. Each and every day, we are dedicated to ensuring all members of our growing and diverse community have access to these building blocks, and the tools they need to explore, connect, and thrive.
About This Cause
Open to everyone, the Guelph Public Library system welcomes more than 1.9 million visits each year across all ages, abilities, backgrounds, and socioeconomic status’ - ensuring endless ways for all community members to explore the world, enhance their well-being, and connect with the community. Celebrating historic roots, while also evolving services to support a growing and increasingly diverse community, the GPL system strengthens people and neighbourhoods through its main library, five branch locations, and mobile Bookmobile service. Once destinations for just books, public libraries are now dynamic places to access nearly everything: connecting people with a wealth of resources that make lives better. In doing so, public libraries act as community builders, centers for diverse populations, and champions of lifelong learning. Our system offers accessible resources, programming, technologies, and services in a variety of formats that educate, engage, and entertain, and access to collections, tools, and outreach opportunities that few in the community could afford on their own. We also ensure welcoming and inclusive spaces, opportunities for people to engage in a new and innovative ways, and meaningful ways to cultivate social connections - turning barriers into bridges through community-informed offerings that are responsive to the needs of our dynamic and evolving community. The Coronavirus pandemic greatly underscored the crucial role of GPL as an essential community hub and its importance in bridging digital and socioeconomic divides, empowering lifelong learning, and ensuring all citizens remain connected and supported especially during challenging times - particularly for underprivileged community members and those with limited means. As a result, equal access to our offerings has taken on a more profound meaning than ever, attested to by steadily rising usage levels and the 1000’s of people who rely on our services every day. In 2024, we welcomed more than 1.94 million visits; over 2.2 million items were checked out (an average of more than 6,000 per day); 35,264 participants attended programs; we connected folks to technology and online resources more than 1.57 million times; and we welcomed 8,348 new cardholders. Simply put, no other institution can do what a public library can. Every gift to the Guelph Public Library has the power to enrich, improve and transform lives. Large or small, today or planned, one-time or ongoing, all gifts make a difference. Public funding forms the backbone of our library system, but like for many other public institutions, financial resources often fall short of meeting the growing needs of our community. As our services continue to expand to support diverse and evolving user demands, this gap has become increasingly evident. Public funding supports our library system, while your gifts help us thrive. Donations fund priority needs not covered by tax dollars. Every gift to the Guelph Public Library has the power to enrich, improve and transform lives. Large or small, today or planned, one-time or ongoing, all gifts make a difference. They fund projects that inspire children to discover the joys of reading, help newcomers integrate into our community, provide access to cutting-edge technology, deliver outreach services to individuals unable to visit our locations, and ensure the high-quality library services that our community needs and deserves. Together, these contributions enhance the lives of children, adults, seniors, and families, creating a stronger, more vibrant, thriving community for all. Andrew Carnegie once said, “There was no use to which money could be applied so productive of good to boys and girls who have good within them and ability and ambition to develop it, as the founding of a public library.” Those words still ring true today. For every $1 invested into a public library, $6 is generated in community economic impact, a return of over 600%. This impact is significantly magnified when the social value of libraries in addressing literacy, educational outcomes, workforce development, culture, and the health of democracy is considered. Your partnership will generate the most spectacular return on investment. It will build the future of our library and entire community ensuring the Guelph Public Library remains the place where new discoveries and opportunities are ignited. A place that will create awe, uplift those within it, and make a difference in lives every single day.