Books, Magazines, DVDs, CDs and More...
The Main Branch of the Peterborough Public Library has a well-stocked current circulating print and media collection of books (large print and regular format), audio books, music CDs, CD-ROMs, DVDs and magazines for adults, children and teens. The Delafosse Branch has primarily a recreational reading collection of books, in addition to a small collection of music CDs, DVDs, audio books and magazines. The library’s Information staff are able to assist you in locating the items that you need, and are happy to suggest titles of interest. If you would like to explore on your own, check out our Booklists and Award Winners, or consult Novelist, one of our many databases.
Reference Collection
The non-circulating Reference section at Main consists of popular reference materials such as encyclopedias, almanacs, dictionaries, maps, etc., in addition to government documents and local and family history materials (aka "The Peterborough Collection").
If you are doing research on a particular topic, you may also choose to explore our Research Guides or databases.
Research Databases
Library users also have access to a wide variety of subscription databases – most are available at home using your library card. While most support general research, some of them are more specialized: Repair your car with the help of Auto Repair Reference Center, research your family tree with Ancestry. Students can ace their school projects with the help of World Book or e-Library Elementary.
Large Print
The library offers adults and children a wide range of books in an easier to read large print format. In addition, two magazines and one newspaper are offered in large print – Reader’s Digest, Guideposts and the New York Times Weekly edition.
French Language
There is a small collection of titles in French for adult leisure reading, with a focus on fiction. The Children's Department has a collection of French Language books suitable for school projects. The library also subscribes to two print magazines that are published in French – Paris Match and L’Actualité. Other magazines and newspapers are available through our electronic databases. For example, CEDROM Sni News, includes 11 French language news sources including Le Devoir, Le Droit, and La Presse.
Healthy Families Collection
Located in the Children’s Department, this is a special collection of books, audio books, and DVDs that provides answers to questions on a wide variety of parenting subjects such as Attention Deficit Disorder, Bullies / Teasing, Behaviour Problems and Separation and Divorce. A selection of titles by subject can be found online here or in paper format at the library.
The Healthy Families web site provides a rich source of information to parents and caregivers, as well as informing the community of upcoming workshops and other events relating to parenting.
City of Peterborough residents may borrow material free of charge from the Centre with their library card. If you do not live in the City of Peterborough, you may become a "non-resident" borrower by paying a nominal fee. Interlibrary Loan is available free of charge for the books in the Healthy Families Collection through any local public library in Ontario.
The Healthy Families Collection is part of a collective multi-agency initiative in the community. Participating agencies are: Kinark Child and Family Services; Learning Disabilities Association-Peterborough; Peterborough County-City Health Unit; Peterborough Family Resource Centre as well as the Peterborough Public Library.
Peterborough Collection
The Peterborough Collection is a special collection of items that covers the rich historical, social and cultural growth of the city of Peterborough and the surrounding counties from the early 1800s to the present. The collection fulfills a special role in serving the needs of researchers interested in local and family history. All the material is accessible to anyone who visits the library while it is open and inquiries can be made at the Adult Information desk. See the Peterborough Collection page of this site for more details of its nature.
Interlibrary Loan
Materials that are not in this library can often be borrowed from other libraries. For details, see Interlibrary Loan.
Donations and Additions to the Collection
Donations of books, magazines and audio-visual materials are welcomed at the library and are used by the Friends of the Library to raise funds to purchase new materials and equipment and to sponsor programs. On rare occasions an item may be added to the collection. Those seeking to add a particular item to the library’s collection should contact the Collections Development Librarian at 745-5382.
Suggestions for New Materials
Do you have a suggestion for an item to add to our collection? The library considers the addition of materials in accordance with the library’s Materials Selection Policy. Patrons may submit requests in person at either the Adult or Children’s Information Desks or through this site. Library users may also request Interlibrary Loans for materials (older than one year) that are not owned by our library.
