Introduction
The concept of Open Data is part of a growing global movement to make public information more accessible. Providing information to the public through Open Data programs are intended to lead to more accessible, accountable and transparent government.
Toronto Public Library has released datasets on this page under the Library's Open Data policy. Under this policy, Library data is made available license free and free of charge.
Members of the public may request the release of additional data sets. Staff will assess requests based on the criteria in the policy of a) public demand, b) value to the library sector including academia and c) resources required to extract and format data. A request can be made using our Contact Us page.
Library Data
- Z39.50 is available:
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- host: symphony.torontopubliclibrary.ca
- port: 2200
- database name: unicorn
- search map name: unicorn_bth
- unicode server: yes
- Active Cardholders by Cardholder Type
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This report provides branch statistics on the number of people who have used their card at least once in the past year. The data is based on customers whose records show one of the following activities: check out, renewal, check-in, billing, payment, placing hold, a new registration, a login authentication to access some electronic databases. Statistics are broken down by Child, Teen and Adult.
Data available: Annually (2010-2014); System and Branch Level Data
- Data (CSV)
- Active Cardholders
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This report provides branch statistics on the number of people who have used their card at least once in the past year. The data is based on customers whose records show one of the following activities: check out, renewal, check-in, billing, payment, placing hold, a new registration, a login authentication to access some electronic databases.
- Data (CSV)
- Annual Circulation
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This report provides total annual circulation that includes first-time checkouts, staff renewals, and patron renewals.
Data available: Annually (2010-2014); System and Branch Level Data
- Data (CSV)
- Annual Programs by Age Group
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This report provides total annual branch statistics on the number of programs and attendance by age group: Preschool, Child, Teen, Adult and Senior. In 2014, a new data collection method was implemented. Cosponsored programs are no longer counted separately. Cosponsored programs are now categorized according to program age group.
Data available: Annually (2010-2014); System and Branch Level Data
- Data (CSV)
- Annual Programs by Type
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This report provides total annual branch statistics on the number of programs and attendance by program type: Cultural, ESL, Information & Current Issues, Literacy, Literary and User Education. *In 2014, a new data collection method was implemented. New program types were introduced to align with reporting requirements.
Data available: Annually (2010-2014); System and Branch Level Data
- Data (CSV)
- Annual Programs
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This report provides total annual branch statistics on the number of programs and attendance.
Data available: Annually (2010-2014); System and Branch Level Data
- Data (CSV)
- Annual Visits
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This report provides total annual pro-rated data from sample survey weeks on the number of customers entering and re-entering the branch. NYCL and TRL provide actual visit counts. The Library is moving toward actual counts with the installation of people counters at branches.
- Annual Visits (CSV)
- Q1 Visits (CSV)
- Q2 Visits (CSV)
- Q3 Visits (CSV)
- Q4 Visits (CSV)
- Branch Geolocations
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Geolocations of all library branches with street address, phone number and link to branch profile.
- Data (KML)
- Branch Information Census Tracts
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This report provides library branches and its assigned census tracts based on the 2011 Census year.
Data available: Based on 2011 Census Tracts (Statistics Canada)
- Data (CSV)
- Branch Information
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This report provides the locations of the existing library branches within the City of Toronto and branch profile information: City neighbourhood region, City Ward region, catchment population, hours open per week, branch staff hours, total floor space (sq. ft.), collection size, # of parking spaces, # of seating, total rental space (sq. ft.), # of public PCs with Internet Access, approximate distance from branch to public transit
Data available: Based on 2014 TPL Branch Profile
- Data (CSV)
- Catalogue, Event, and Feed Data from the website
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This includes ~2.4 million catalogue records as well as all RSS Feed and Upcoming Event data.
Warning: it is roughly 1.5 GB compressed, and 20 GB uncompressed.
- Data (ZIP)
- Circulation by Cardholder Type
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This report provides branch circulation statistics according to the type of card i.e. the number of items checked out on child, teen and adult library cards.
Data available: Annually (2012-2014); Branch Level Data
- Data (CSV)
- Circulation by Intellectual Level of Material
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This report provides branch circulation broken down by the intellectual level of the material, i.e. the number of child, teen and adult items checked out.
Data available: Annually (2012-2014); Branch Level Data
- Data (CSV)
- Circulation by Language Group
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This report provides branch Total Circulation according to the language group and intellectual level of material - English, French and Multilingual items broken down by child, teen and adult items
Data available: Annually (2012-2014); Branch Level Data
- Data (CSV)
- New Registrations by Cardholder Type
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This report provides branch statistics on the number of new registrations - no card renewals, just new registrations. Statistics are broken down by Child, Teen and Adult.
Data available: Annually (2010-2014); System and Branch Level Data
- Data (CSV)
- New Registrations
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This report provides branch statistics on the number of new registrations - no card renewals, just new registrations.
Data available: Annually (2010-2014); System and Branch Level Data
- Data (CSV)
- Realtime Feed of Searches Conducted on torontopubliclibrary.ca
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Websocket connection open to third parties providing a near realtime feed of searches conducted on torontopubliclibrary.ca. The feed also provides the type of browser used to conduct each search. The feed currently powers the site dashboard.tpllabs.ca.
- Registered Cardholders by Cardholder Type
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This report provides total annual branch statistics on the number of people who are registered for a library card. The database is purged regularly at the end of the year, based on 3 years of inactivity. Statistics are broken down by Child, Teen and Adult.
Data available: Annually (2010-2014); System and Branch Level Data
- Data (CSV)
- Registered Cardholders
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This report provides total annual branch statistics on the number of people who are registered for a library card. The database is purged regularly at the end of the year, based on 3 years of inactivity.
Data available: Annually (2010-2014); System and Branch Level Data
- Data (CSV)
- Top Ten eBooks - Fiction
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These reports provide monthly popular electronic fiction titles (top ten). Statistics are broken down by Child, Teen, and Adult.
- Top Ten eBooks - Non-Fiction
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These reports provide monthly popular electronic non-fiction titles (top ten). Statistics are broken down by Child, Teen, and Adult.
- Top Ten Print Materials - Fiction
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These reports provide monthly popular print fiction titles (top ten). Statistics are broken down by Child, Teen, and Adult.
- Top Ten Print Materials - Non-Fiction
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These reports provide monthly popular print non-fiction titles (top ten). Statistics are broken down by Child, Teen, and Adult.
- Top website searches
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Lists the most common searches made on the website from 2010 to 2014
- Data (JSON)
- Toronto Public Library Branch Locations
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The locations of the existing library branches within the City of Toronto.
- Readme File (XLS)
- Library Branch Locations (KML)