Reference Loans

Reference Loans within the Toronto Public Library System

If there are two copies of a reference book (and no circulating copies) at North York Central Library or Toronto Reference Library, and you are unable to travel to the owning library to read it, staff may in some cases be able to have the book sent to a Toronto Public Library branch near you for you to read it there. You can make a request at any Toronto Public Library Branch with a valid TPL library card.

Each request will be reviewed individually. Reference loans may not be possible for a number of reasons (fragility, cost, uniqueness or irreplaceability of the item). The following categories of material cannot be considered for reference loan:

• Single reference copies
• High-demand or key reference works
• Serials such as periodicals, directories or indexes
• Special Collections items, including materials from the Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation & Fantasy, the Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books, and the Canadiana Collection.

A fine of $1.00 will be automatically charged for reference loans that are filled for a customer but not picked up.