Facts

How does the Central Library stack up against the former building?

These infographics compare the two libraries, including square footage, public seating, collections, meeting rooms, plus more.

Central Library in East Village opened November 1, 2018, as the newest gathering place for our city. In its first seven months, more than 1 million people visited.

• The City of Calgary has been planning for a new Central Library since 2004, when it first devoted funds to study future library needs.
• Throughout 2012, more than 16,000 Calgarians participated in an extensive public engagement program to provide input into the function of Central Library and the role of the Library within the community.
• The building’s architects are Snøhetta, an international firm, and Calgary’s DIALOG, while CMLC leads the construction.
• The 240,000 square foot building has five levels that will contain about 600,000 items.

• Construction began in 2014 with a real feat of engineering: encapsulating the LRT. It was the first time in Calgary’s history an active LRT line was encapsulated and used as a foundation for a building above.
• The final steel beam of Central Library’s skeletal structure serves a dual-purpose; it’s a time capsule of steel. In March 2017, nearly 700 library lovers of all ages inscribed the massive beam with messages of congratulations and inspiration for future generations.
• Central Library is a fully-funded $245 million project, paid for by the City ($175 million) and CMLC ($70 million). The Calgary Public Library Foundation’s Add-In Campaign allowed donors to enhance collections, programs, and services across the entire Library system.