Edmonton Public Library

The Edmonton Public Library (EPL) is a publicly funded library system in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, available for use by any member of the public. Library cards are free to all Edmontonians; as part of its centennial, the Edmonton Public Library eliminated membership fees on cards registered in 2013 and customers who have registered since.University of Alberta and MacEwan University students can receive free access using the L-Pass program.

In 2014, more than 14.1 million visits were made to the Edmonton Public Library, either in physical or virtual form. 10.4 million items were borrowed, and 347,995 people participated in 13,532 library-run programs.

Collection

EPL has more than 16.6 million items in its collection including books, CDs, DVDs, magazines, video games, and online resources. There are 18 branches, the oldest of which is the Old Strathcona Branch, opened in 1913. The newest is eplGO West Henday, opened in 2015.

History

The history of the Edmonton Public Library (EPL) begins in 1912, when the cities of Edmonton and Strathcona began to consider the creation of two public libraries in the region. By the time the two libraries opened in 1913, Edmonton and Strathcona had amalgamated, and so one fledgling library system started with two branches. The Strathcona branch was the only branch to the south of the North Saskatchewan River that divides the city of Edmonton, and it would remain so until 1955. The branch on the north side of the river was temporarily located in the Chisholm Block, above a meat shop and a liquor store.