University of Toronto Libraries
The University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) system is the largest academic library in Canada and is ranked third among peer institutions in North America, behind only Harvard and Yale. The system consists of 40 libraries located on the University of Toronto's three campuses: St. George, Mississauga and Scarborough, with most in downtown Toronto.
Also recorded as University of Toronto Library · UTL · U of T Libraries
University of Toronto Libraries

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- Name
- University of Toronto Libraries
- Headquarters
- Canada
- Part of
- University of Toronto
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Documentary summary
The University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) system is the largest academic library in Canada and is ranked third among peer institutions in North America, behind only Harvard and Yale. The system consists of 40 libraries located on the University of Toronto's three campuses: St. George, Mississauga and Scarborough, with most in downtown Toronto.
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wikidata · Q7896490 · wikipedia · University of Toronto Libraries
In this article
Overview
Overview
This array of college libraries, special collections, and specialized libraries and information centres supports the teaching and research requirements of 215 graduate programs, over 60 professional programs, and more than 700 undergraduate degree programs. In addition to more than 12 million print volumes in 341 languages, the library system currently provides access to 184,228 journal titles, millions of electronic resources in various forms and more than 33,000 linear metres of archival material. The largest library in the system is the John P. Robarts Research Library, located on the St. George campus, which houses the main collection of social sciences and humanities research resources at the University of Toronto. The Robarts Library complex is also home to the central Libraries’ administrative offices, exhibit galleries, Scotiabank Information Commons, Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation, Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library, Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library, Map & Data Library, Petro Jacyk Central & East European Resource Centre and the Media Commons. Robarts Library is only accessible to University of Toronto students, faculty, staff, and those with a valid ID card. The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library is connected to Robarts Library and is open to the public. It houses both the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections and the University of Toronto Archives and Records Management Services (UTARMS). It is Canada's largest rare book library and its holdings include books, manuscripts, maps, and graphic and audiovisual material covering a broad range of subjects and time periods. Also located on the St. George campus, the Gerstein Science Information Centre is the main library for the science and health science disciplines. In addition to the centre's comprehensive print collection, there is a vast selection of health and scientific databases and indexes available online.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — University of Toronto Libraries • Country — Canada • Type — Academic library • Location — Greater Toronto Area, Ontario • Num Branches — 40 • Items Collected — Books, journals, newspapers, sound recordings, databases, maps, drawings and manuscripts • Collection Size — 12,426,395 physical volumes, 5.6 million microforms, 2,624,513 digital books, 184,228 e-journal titles, 33,063 linear metres archival material (2020) • Affiliation — * ARL • CARL • OCUL • Parent Organization — University of Toronto • Budget — CAD $111 million (including CAD $41 million for collections, CAD $45 million for salaries, CAD $10 million for benefits, and CAD $13 million for other expenses) • Leader Title — University Chief Librarian • Leader Name — Larry Paul Alford • Num Employees — 683 (including student assistants) • Website — library.utoronto.ca
Partnerships and collaboration
Partnerships and collaboration
The University of Toronto Libraries system is a member of the Association of Research Libraries, Canadian Association of Research Libraries, and the Ontario Council of University Libraries.
Main
Main
UTL has four main branches spread across the three U of T campuses. The John P. Robarts Research Library is the university's main social sciences and humanities library, while the Gerstein Science Information Centre is the main library for sciences. Both are located on the St. George campus in downtown Toronto. The Mississauga and Scarborough campuses are each home to one large general-subject library, the U of T Mississauga Library and U of T Scarborough Library, respectively. • Illustration — Gerstein Science Information Centre • Illustration — John P. Robarts Research Library • Illustration — U of T Mississauga Library • Illustration — U of T Scarborough Library
Colleges
Colleges
• College — Name — Campus — Image • Innis College — Innis College Library — St. George • Knox College — Caven Library — St. George — • Massey College — Robertson Davies Library — St. George • New College — Ivey Library — St. George • St. Michael's College — John M. Kelly Library — St. George — • Trinity College and Wycliffe College — John W. Graham Library — St. George • University College — University College Library — St. George — • Victoria University — E. J. Pratt Library — St. George — • Emmanuel College Library
Subject
Subject
• Subject — Name — Campus — Image • Architecture, landscape, and design — Eberhard Zeidler Library — St. George — • Arts (fine) — Department of Art Library — St. George • Business — The BRIDGE — Scarborough — • Milt Harris Library — St. George • Ceramics — Gail Brooker Ceramic Research Library at the Gardiner Museum — St. George — • Chemistry — A. D. Allen Library — St. George • Christian studies — Institute for Christian Studies — St. George • Criminology — Centre for Criminology Library — St. George • Dentistry — Harry R. Abbott Memorial Library — St. George • Earth Sciences — Noranda Library — St. George • East Asian studies — Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library — St. George — • Education — OISE Library — St. George — • Engineering and Computer Science — Engineering and Computer Science Library — St. George — • European studies — Petro Jacyk Central and East European Resource Centre — St. George • First Nations studies — First Nations House Library — St. George • Geography — Map and Data Library — St. George • Hong Kong studies — Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library — St. George — • Industrial Relations and Human Resources — Newman Library — St. George • Law — Bora Laskin Law Library — St. George — • Mathematics — Mathematical Sciences Library — St. George • Media — Media Commons — St. George • Music — Music Library — St. George • Mediaeval Studies — Pontifical Institute of Mediæval Studies Library — St. George • Physics, astronomy and astrophysics — Physics Library — St. George • Rare books — Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library — St. George — • Seminary — St. Augustine's Seminary Library — St. George • Archival — Royal Ontario Museum Library and Archives — – • University of Toronto Archives and Records Management Services (UTARMS) — St. George • UTL at Downsview — – • Miscellaneous — U of T Schools (UTS) Library Information Centre — St. George
Chief librarians
Chief librarians
University Librarian • John McCaul (1843–1852) • John William Small (1852–1853) • Alexander Lorimer (1854–1868) • John Edgeworth Thomson (1868–1872) • William Henry Van der Smissen (1873–1891) • Hugh Hornby Langton (1892–1923) • William Stewart Wallace (1923–1954) University Chief Librarian • Robert Harold Blackburn (1954–1981) • Marilyn Sharrow (1982–1985) • Carol Moore (1986–2011) • Larry Paul Alford (2011–present)
Identity and overview
Identity and overview
The following is established of the heading itself. Associated with Canada.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
- Canada
Catalogued output
Publications and programmes
The register further records that university of Toronto Libraries is recorded as publishing house. Situated in Canada. The register further records that university of Toronto Libraries lies within Toronto. It is also recorded that university of Toronto Libraries lies within Mississauga. The register further records that university of Toronto Libraries is recorded at coordinates 43.6645, -79.3997.
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q7896490: University of Toronto Libraries
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “University of Toronto Libraries”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.ARL Statistics. Principal Component Scores ARL Library Investment Index Description and Worksheets.
- 2.University of Toronto Libraries. About.
- 3.Wall, Margaret. U of T Library System Ranked in Top Three with Harvard and Yale. University of Toronto Libraries. 2014-09-09.
- 4.Libraries, University of Toronto. Members of the public. onesearch.library.utoronto.ca. 2014-11-26.
- 5.Robarts Library stack access (floors 9-13). onesearch.library.utoronto.ca. 2011-10-28.
- 6.Libraries, University of Toronto. Visit University of Toronto Libraries. onesearch.library.utoronto.ca.
- 7.About Us. fisher.library.utoronto.ca. 2012-05-15.
- 8.Sung, Jenny. Rare books: Thomas Fisher library has Canada’s largest collection. globalnews.ca retrieved 11 March 2021. 15 April 2016.
- 9.About us Gerstein Science Information Centre. gerstein.library.utoronto.ca.
- 10.Administrator. List of ARL Members. Association of Research Libraries.
- 11.Members. Canadian Association of Research Libraries.
- 12.University of Toronto Ontario Council of University Libraries. ocul.on.ca.
- 13.University of Toronto Libraries. Libraries and Departments.
- 14.Research Resources in Physics. www.physics.utoronto.ca.
- 15.Historical Bits and Bytes: Chief Librarians / University Librarians. University of Toronto Academic Librarians. 2011-03-13.
- 16.Larry Alford. Association of College and Research Libraries.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q7896490: University of Toronto LibrariesWikimedia Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Publishers and printers
5,459 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
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