Mississauga.ca - Residents - Central Library

	Ground breaking for the present Mississauga Central Library at 301 Burnhamthorpe Road West, took place on September 23, 1988 with Mayor Hazel McCallion the first to turn the sod.

	The new building was designed by the architectural firm of Shore, Tilbe, Henschel, Irwin and Peters.

	The topping-off ceremony was held on July 11, 1989, with Mayor McCallion, Library Board member and members of staff present. Here Dr. Don McFarlane, Chairman of the Library Board, converses with Mayor Hazel McCallion.

	The last bucket of cement was swung into place to mark the topping off.

	The former Central Library was closed on June 29, 1991 and collections and staff were moved to the new location. The new Central Library cost 43 million dollars and was fully paid for when it opened to the public on September 23, 1991. The library, 15,400 square metres in size, with five floors, contained at opening a collection of 250,000 items, a 244-seat auditorium and a two-level parking garage. There were four Subject Departments, an Audio-Visual Department and one of the largest Children’s Departments in a Canadian library. The building also included Library Administration, the Technical Services Department and the Bookmobile.

	The Mississauga Central Library project received an Award of Excellence in the 11th Annual Mississauga Urban Design Awards in 1991, and is listed in the 2000 City of Mississauga Excellence in Urban Design: Millennium Design Icons & Retrospective.

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