Kingston Frontenac Public Library

The Kingston Frontenac Public Library (KFPL) was established in 1998 through the amalgamation of the Kingston Public Library (which began as a 19th-century Mechanics Institute) and the Frontenac County Library, creating a 17-branch system. The KFPL serves the city of Kingston and Frontenac County in Ontario, Canada. The library regularly welcomes visitors from outside of this region.[1][2] The KFPL has a board made up of appointees and representatives from Kingston City Council and Frontenac County Council. The board operates using the Carver Model.

Kingston Frontenac Public Library
Location130 Johnson Street
Kingston, Ontario
K7L 1X8
TypePublic Library system in Kingston Frontenac
Established1895
Branches16
Collection
Items collectedbusiness directories, phone books, maps, government publications, books, periodicals, genealogy, local history,
Other information
WebsiteKingston Frontenac Public Library

Services
  • Information and reference services
  • Access to full text databases
  • Community information
  • Internet access
  • Reader's advisory services
  • Programs for children, youth and adults
  • Delivery to homebound individuals
  • Interlibrary loan
  • Free downloadable audiobooks and e-books

History

It was one of a series of Mechanics' 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 Mechanics' Institutes libraries eventually became public libraries when the establishment of free libraries occurred.[3] The Mechanics Institute in Kingston was founded in 1834; in 1895, the Kingston Public Library was established, making it one of the first public libraries in Canada.

Branches

There are five branches within the city of Kingston and eleven branches throughout Frontenac County. The library branches include:

  • Arden
  • Calvin Park
  • Central (main branch)
  • Cloyne
  • Hartington
  • Howe Island
  • Isabel Turner
  • Mountain Grove
  • Parham
  • Pittsburgh
  • Plevna
  • Rideau Heights
  • Sharbot Lake
  • Storrington
  • Sydenham
  • Wolfe Island

See also

References
  1. Kingston Frontenac Public Library. (n.d.). Kingston Frontenac Public Library. Retrieved January 20, 2010, from http://www.kfpl.ca/index_html
  2. County of Frontenac. (n.d.). County of Frontenac. Retrieved January 20, 2010, from http://www.frontenaccounty.ca/
  3. Harris, Michael. History Of Libraries In The Western World. 4th ed. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1995, p. 153.
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