• General Questions

    As long as you are 14 years of age and older,  you can join our volunteer team! Markham Public Library has many fun and engaging volunteer opportunities that will help you gain valuable skills and experience. 

    Yes, once you are qualified to volunteer, you can pick any volunteer opportunities that best fit you. 

    Each region has its own process of obtaining a VSC. Please visit your regional police website and follow its VSC process.

  • OverDrive

    In Libby, you can tag titles that is not currently offered by the library using “Notify Me” smart tags. If the library purchases titles that you have tagged with the “Notify Me” smart tag, you will receive a notification to borrow it if it is available or directly place a hold. For more details about “Notify Me” smart tags, see this article.

    You can receive a copy of OverDrive title history for your records by selecting your Shelf, then History, then Actions and finally Email History. You will be prompted to enter your email address, after which select Submit. For further details, see these instructions.

    Libby:
    Borrowing history can be accessed by selecting the Timeline icon (look for the ‘clock’ icon located in the footer menu in Libby). For further details and exceptions, see the Libby Help website .

    Yes. You have the option to renew a magazine within 3 days of the end of the lending period. Since magazines are offered under simultaneous use, you can also borrow the magazine again at any time.

    No. Magazines will not count toward checkout limits. All magazines will be available for unlimited simultaneous use.

    The article view feature will be available in Libby only. Customers using the MPL OverDrive website can read magazines in the original format/layout.

    You can borrow and read OverDrive magazines in the browser but cannot download them to your computer. To download magazines for offline reading, it’s best to use the Libby app on a mobile device.

  • General Questions

    MPL accepts donations which are funneled into our upcoming book sales. Funds generated are used to improve library collections and services.  

    Here are some items we are looking for in particular:

    • Children’s books (especially picture books, chapter books & levelled readers)
    • Craft, Home & Garden titles
    • Language & Learning titles
    • Cook Books
    • Books in the fields of science and social science published within 5 years 
    • Video Games

    Condition of items:

    • Items in good to excellent condition, new or nearly new, complete, clean, unmarked
    • Non-fiction titles should be published within the past 5 years

    Opportunities to work at MPL are posted on our Employment Page. Diversity is one of Markham's seven strategic priorities and we strive to develop and maintain an environment where everyone feels welcome to participate and where respect and acceptance is practiced in words and actions by all.

    Flyers can posters that meet our posting requirement can be posted on the branches' community boards. Please check out posting policy for details. 

    There is an eResource called PressReader, which allows you to download newspapers and magazines to your computer and then transfer them to your Kobo. Please contact us at 905-513-7977 during library hours or by email for more info on PressReader or any other eResources.

    MPL offers a wide range of programs and services for all ages:

    • Programs supporting life-long learning
    • Online databases, eBooks, and online learning courses
    • Computing, scanning and printing services to use in the library
    • Study and meeting spaces
    • Room rentals
    • Interactive play spaces
    • Teen spaces
    • Makerspaces and 3D printing
    • Quiet reading spaces
    • And more!

    With a Markham Public Library card you can access to the library's collections in branch and online. You can also borrow items from special collections like our Toy Library, Musical Instrument Lending Library, Digital Media equipment, Markham Cycle's bicycle collection and The Lendery which lends sporting equipment, tools and household appliances. 

    Library staff will be happy to help you access these services.

    Yes you can. Once you are in the library branch you can use USBs on the public access computers the same way you would use a USB on a personal computer.

    Yes, you can print files from your USB. Once at the library you can log onto our public access computers, open your file, and sent the print job to our printers. See Payment & Cost  on our Printing page for more information. 

  • Library Card

  • Makerspace

    Several MPL branches have a suite of computers intended for digital media creation that customers can use for sound and video editing, graphic design, animation, coding, sound recording, digitization and 3D design. These computers are available free of charge in our Makerspaces, and can be reserved by contacting branch staff in person, by phone at 905-513-7977 during library hours or by email for assistance.

    Check out our amazing Makerspace equipment and software coming soon.

    Makerspaces are collaborative spaces where creative ideas are shared and brought to life.

  • eBooks & eMagazines

    Yes. You have the option to renew a magazine within 3 days of the end of the lending period. Since magazines are offered under simultaneous use, you can also borrow the magazine again at any time.

    Yes. The lending period will be up to 21 days and magazines will be returned automatically at the end of the lending period.

    No. Magazines will not count toward checkout limits. All magazines will be available for unlimited simultaneous use.

    The article view feature will be available in Libby only. Customers using the MPL OverDrive website can read magazines in the original format/layout.

    You can borrow and read OverDrive magazines in the browser but cannot download them to your computer. To download magazines for offline reading, it’s best to use the Libby app on a mobile device.

    To offer the widest selection of digital services, we purchase products/services from a number of suppliers.  These include:

    • Library catalogue and online library account where you can see your checkouts, manage your settings, place holds, etc.
    • eBooks and streaming collections such as OverDrive, and Hoopla
    • Online databases such as Consumer Reports, World Book, CPI.Q, etc.
    • Online learning resources such as Universal Class, Mango Languages, Learning Express Library, etc.

    Each time you use these services you are leaving the MPL's website and visiting a separate website managed by our supplier.  When you visit these sites, you may be prompted to log in to the site.  Your MPL card will validate that you are entitled to use these services.

    To offer you the widest selection of eBooks and downloadable/streaming magazines, audiobooks, movies and music, MPL purchases services from a number of suppliers on your behalf.  Many of these are integrated into our website where possible. However, in some cases, integration is not possible and a separate account is required to access each individual service.

    All digital titles are automatically returned on their due dates, so you never have to worry about returning them. However, you can choose to return an item early if needed. 

    • Most OverDrive eBooks and audiobooks can be returned early if you’d like to make space in your library account. Find step-by-step instructions on OverDrive Help: Early Return.
    • You can return Hoopla eBooks/eAudiobooks from the website or Hoopla app.

    MPL makes eBooks available through a few different online resources. The limit of items you can borrow varies:

    • You can check out up to 75 items at any given time in OverDrive/Libby.
    • You can check out up to 10 items per calendar month in Hoopla.

    MPL offers ebooks through a few different resources, and the loan periods are slightly different in each.

    • In OverDrive, you can select a lending period of an eBook/eAudiobook from 7 days, 14 days, or 21 days. You can adjust your default lending period for a specific title before borrowing it..
    • In Hoopla, you can keep an eBook/eAudiobook for 21 days.
    • TumbleBook eBook/eAudiobook cannot be checked out. These are for streaming only.

    There are several depending on your needs. For more information, please visit our Digital Collections page.

    MPL offers a wide variety of online resources: eBooks , eAudiobooks, streaming music, streaming movies, online courses, electronic newspapers, etc. Whether you are just getting started using MPL’s online resources or if you are having trouble with a resource you use regularly, please reach out to staff at your local branch at 905-513-7977 during library hours or by email for assistance.  Additionally, our website offers video tutorials and links through Niche Academy for further assistance.

  • Digital Resources

    The article view feature will be available in Libby only. Customers using the MPL OverDrive website can read magazines in the original format/layout.

  • Facilities

    Yes, you completely own all of your content you create using our computers. Please make sure to save your work on your USB as our computer refresh and delete work daily at the end of the day.

    No it does not. Our computers refresh and delete work daily at the end of the day.

    Any types of video digitizing take the same time as the length of the video. If the tape is 2 hours long, the digitizing will take 2 hours.

    Yes, there is no cost to using our digitizing equipment. 

    It does not save onto Makerspace computers; it saves onto the USB patron provides. 

    Our VHS converter is compatible on any VHS player, so if you have a PAL VHS player at home, then the converter can convert your PAL tapes. If your VHS player is universal, then it can convert whatever tapes you have.

    Laser engravers can have several different processes for engraving, but for the most part:

    1. The design is created or imported into vector image editing software like CorelDraw.
    2. The material to be engraved or cut is placed within the laser tray
    3. The laser engraving machine is then properly focused on the surface of the material.
    4. The power of the laser beam is set depending on the type of material (such as wood, acrylic etc.).
    5. The machine activates the laser and passes over the desired marking area on the surface of the material or object
    6. The material is removed from the machine once it is completed, and engraving residue (soot, metal shards, etc.) is removed from the surface of the object.

    The machine uses lasers to produce concentrated heat that removes the top layer of material, vaporizing it to create the desired design.

    The light is focused at a specific distance and set to the right power level to leave a mark. Too little power and it will not end up marking the material, too much and you can burn through the object.

    Laser engraving can take anywhere from 5 seconds to multiple hours. Quite a few factors need to be taken into account such as the material being engraved, the size of the design, and the power of the laser.

    Though the actual process of engraving may be relatively quick, there may be multiple, longer steps involved in preparing the engraving such as rendering the design into the computer software, prepping the material being engraved, and removing any unwanted residue after the engraving process.

    Please contact the Makerspace to confirm availability of materials and current costs.

    Customers can bring their own laser safe materials to use with our laser engraver. However, you must first check with staff to ensure your material will be safe for laser engraving and compatible with our machines.

    We only allow laser safe materials to be used on the laser engraver for health and safety reasons. Currently we allow wood and acrylic.

    If using wood, such as plywood sheets, please ensure that the core is solid and not made up of different layers of wood that have been glued together.

    If you would like to use other materials, they must first be checked by a Digital Literacy Specialist to ensure they are safe to use.

    The Epilog and Glowforge are compatible with JPG, PNG, SVG, PDF, and other file formats.

    You can create Glowforge-compatible files from a variety of different software platforms like Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape, CorelDraw, Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, Autodesk 360, & Sketchup.

    To print a file, you will use the Glowforge app in the Makerspace, which is a web-based application on our computers. You can either:

    • Drag and drop it directly into the app
    • Copy the contents of the file and paste it into the Glowforge dashboard.

    Although they can cut almost the same materials, the machines have some visual differences.  Here are the differences below:

    Laser Engraver:

    • Uses a high-heat laser beam that can
      engrave, cut or score 2D objects
    • Materials must be placed flat in a single layer
    • Laser can leave modest discolouration marks
      (which vary depending on the settings used
      for laser intensity and speed)
    • Can only cut thin boards of material (like
      wood and acrylic)
    • Can achieve precision and detail

    CNC Router

    • Can cut and drill material into 2D or 3D objects
    • The cutter moves in an X & Y axis
    • No discolouration
    • Can cut thick pieces of wood
    • Can cut your object with more depth

    Yes. The library does not make claim to any ownership, rights, or intellectual property of anyone using the sound booth or other Makerspace services. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of the customer, not that of the library, to adhere to federal copyright laws.

  • Programs

    MPL offers many programs for children of all ages designed to develop skills and confidence in a variety of subjects. For a full list of our program, explore our events page.

  • Services

  • Special Collections

    The Boomerang collection offers customers the opportunity to borrow new, bestselling and high demand items when they first become available. The collection includes:

    • Bestselling fiction and non-fiction
    • Popular authors
    • Major Canadian titles
    • New movie releases

    There are no holds on Boomerang titles. Boomerang books can be borrowed for two weeks, and Boomerang movies can be borrowed for one week.  Boomerang titles cannot be renewed. We have regular copies of all or most of the Boomerang print titles and customer may place holds.

    Congratulations on completing your book!  To submit your book for consideration, please complete the Local Author Submission Form on our Local Authors Page. You'll find all the details you need to get started, including submission guidelines and instructions.

    Unfortunately, we do not have a service like this. However, the New Titles feature in the catalogue can provide you with a list of items recently added to the collection. You can also filter any search by format (book, eBook, DVD, etc.), Content (fiction or non-fiction), Audience (Juvenile, Adult, etc.) or Language in order to narrow the list down to items you are interested in.  Also on the New Titles page, there are lists available by subject and for the more frequently requested collections.

  • Technology

    Several MPL branches have a suite of computers intended for digital media creation that customers can use for sound and video editing, graphic design, animation, coding, sound recording, digitization and 3D design. These computers are available free of charge in our Makerspaces, and can be reserved by contacting branch staff in person, by phone at 905-513-7977 during library hours or by email for assistance.

     Please check the Makerspace page for more info. 

    From your device choose the Public network.  No password is required. Accept the terms and conditions to connect.