85 Queen Street North Kitchener, Ontario Canada N2H 2H1 Phone: (519) 743-0271 Fax: (519) 743-1261 Wheelchair Accessible

By Bus
#8 University via Weber (Route Map)
#15 Frederick (Route Map)

Besides functioning as the community library for our downtown customers, the Main Library also houses numerous specialized collections and services which are impossible or too costly to duplicate at our Community Libraries located elsewhere in the city. The Main Library features a diverse collection of over 300,000 materials and circulates over 800,000 items annually.

Built in 1962, the Main Library is also the administrative headquarters for the entire KPL system.

More information on the history of Kitchener Public Library

Parking

Pay & Display metered parking is available at the Centre-in-the-Square lot, located adjacent to the Main Library. Centre-in-the-Square parking is $1.60 per hour with a $7.00 all-day maximum. There is also has a small Pay & Display lot behind the Main Library. Parking in this lot is limited to a maximum of 3 hours.

*Please note: Centre-in-the-Square parking is FREE after 6:00 pm, provided there is no theatre performance. Centre-in-the-Square theatre schedule

* Parking Complaints: The parking lots adjacent to the Main Library are owned and operated by the City of Kitchener. Please direct any questions or concerns about library parking toTraffic and Parking Services at 519-741-2378.

Membership

• All people who live or own property in the City of Kitchener
• All people who live in the Region of Waterloo*

If you live outside the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, you may obtain a library card for an annual fee of $35.00 or $20.00 for a six-month period.

If you are a visitor staying in the City of Kitchener for a substantial length of time, you may obtain a six-week library card for $5.00.

Schools, businesses, and organizations may also obtain library cards. Please call the library at 519-743-0271, ext. 237 to inquire.

*If you live outside the City of Kitchener but within the Region of Waterloo, you may obtain a free membership that allows you full borrowing privileges (50 items checked out, 50 holds, and remote access to KPL's electronic resources). For more information on reciprocal borrowing, click here.

More information about library membership

What We Offer

Access Centre The Access Centre is an area designed to meet the special needs of our customers. The technology, equipment and resources are available to help people who are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, and physically disabled. More information

Autism Collection

The Autism Collection of the Kitchener Public Library is a special, regionally-accessible, resource of materials in all formats intended for the informational, instructional and research needs of the general public on this disorder.

This unique collection includes resources for researchers, health workers as well as individuals and families who work and live with autism. Both genders and all ages will be reflected in the collection.

Classic works in the field will be acquired and retained in the collection for continuity and research purposes. Biographies, children’s books, and fiction as well as multimedia, video and DVD materials are included when deemed important to a resource collection on this disorder.

The collection is housed beside the HealthLink area of the Information Services Department at the Main Library. All formats are at this one location. Clients who wish to check out materials from this collection will require a KPL Borrower’s Card or a KPL Special Borrower’s Card.

The Special Borrower’s card will be issued at the Borrower’s Services Desk to any requesting individual from the regions of Waterloo, Wellington, and Dufferin, who posseses correct identification and a proof of address. There is no charge to obtain this card. The special card may only be used to check out materials from the Autism Collection.

This important resource has been made possible through the generous donation of the Waterloo Wellington Autism Services Organization.

Business Collection
The Information Services Department of our Main Library has the largest collection of business information in the Kitchener Public Library system. Our staff can help you find the information you need, whether it is available in a specialized directory, a Statistics Canada report, a magazine or newspaper, or on the Internet. More information

Career and Education Collection
Our Career and Education collection, located in the Information Services department, at the Main Library, provides a wealth of information and resources for those seeking to broaden their education or find employment. More information

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Computer Centre The Computer Centre, located at the Main Branch of the Kitchener Public Library, consists of twelve PCs loaded with such useful software programs as: Windows 2000; Word 2000; Excel 2000; PowerPoint 2000; Publisher 2000, and Internet Explorer 6.0 (filtered Internet access). Customers may sign up once a day for a maximum of two hours, Monday to Saturday, and a maximum of one hour on Sundays. Up to 25,000 customers use our Computer Centre each year! More information

Government Documents Collection
KPL is a selective depository library for federal documents, and a full depository library for Ontario documents. You can access federal and Ontario bills, laws, and regulations in print or online. More information

Grace Schmidt Room of Local History Anyone interested in researching their family history in the Waterloo Region will discover a wealth of information in the Grace Schmidt Room of Local History. More information

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HealthLink Our Health Reference Centre consists of a large collection of current consumer health materials, including textbooks, videos, magazine articles, and electronic databases. You can also use our free HealthLink service to receive answers to brief, factual health questions via Email, Phone, or fax. More information

Homework Centre The Kitchener Public Library's Homework Centre features 6 computers with Internet access and word processing plus both print and electronic resources to assist students with assignments. Located at the Main Library, our Homework Centre also has volunteers who are available to help students get started on homework assignments, serve as mentors, and link them to the library's resources and services. More information

IQ InfoQuest Staffed by professional researchers, I.Q. InfoQuest offers comprehensive research services at affordable prices. Now even small businesses can have access to the information needed to make timely decisions. More information

Literacy Collection
To help promote life-long reading, KPL offers collections of print and audiovisual materials for adult readers who are upgrading their skills, as well as tutors and ESL students. More information

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Magazines Kitchener Public Library subscribes to over 500 newspapers and magazines, covering a wide variety of topics. More information

Meeting Rooms Kitchener Public Library has a variety of meeting rooms suitable for all your meeting or group needs. Our rooms can accommodate groups up to 200 people. We offer competitive rental rates plus we have onsite catering facilities available. More information

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Multicultural Collection
The International Language collection at the Main Library provides books and videos in over 20 languages. The library also subscribes to a growing number of magazines and newspapers in languages other than English.
More information

Musical Scores

Whether you’ve just begun learning a musical instrument, or are in the “talented musician” category, KPL has over 1000 titles to choose from. Whether your taste is Mozart, Gershwin, or the Beatles, you’ll find something in this collection to inspire you to pick up that instrument and play!

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Talking Books
Talking books are complete, unabridged tape recorded versions of popular fiction and non-fiction books. Talking Books are just one of many special collections we have for customers with special needs. More information.

Toy Library Our Toy Library has a large collection of developmental toys for babies and older children. Our collection also includes pop-up books, games and puzzles for your child to enjoy. For your child’s continued enjoyment, all the material in our toy library may also be signed out on your library card.

Volunteer and Outreach Services Volunteer opportunities are available at various KPL locations. We invite you to discover the many ways that you can support your public library. The Kitchener Public Library provides all volunteers with an excellent orientation and training package to ensure that each volunteer placement is both enjoyable and productive. More information

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