you are here: committee list > markham public library board

Markham Public Library Board

The Markham Public Library Board oversees the operations of the Markham Public Libraries as per the Public Libraries Act. It is comprised of 9 volunteers for the public and three member so of Council.

Markham Village Library Expansion Approved

Markham Public Libraries (MPL) takes pleasure in announcing that the Town of Markham Council approved the Markham Village Library Expansion Project on June 25, 2004. Plans call for a 15,760 sq. ft. addition to the north of the existing building, as well as renovation to the existing 19,560 sq. ft. facility.

Schoalts and Zaback Architects Ltd. will now begin the design detail phase of the project, with construction scheduled to begin in Summer 2005. The estimated completion date for the project is Fall 2006. Included in the design will be a shade garden between the Library and the Arena suitable for leisure reading. The clock tower on the Library's north façade will be retained as an architectural element and the cenotaph on the Markham Village Green will remain where it is. Upon its completion, the Markham Village Library will also be the new home of MPL's Administrative and Technical Services offices.

The Markham Village Library opened in 1981 with a collection of 45,000 items. Today, it houses 127,000 items including collections of materials and resources that didn't exist when the building originally opened: videos, CD-ROMS, DVDs, a growing multilingual collection and computers. Last year, the Markham Village Library welcomed 339,000 visitors and circulated 554,000 items. This renovation, the first since the Library opened, will transform the traditional Library facility into a community gathering place and resource centre worthy of the 21st century customer.