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Sault Ste. Marie Public Library

Our Collection

The library has all kinds of different materials and resources available for you to borrow, from books and magazines, to eAudiobooks and Blu-Rays. We also have a variety of documents in our local history and archives collection.

See below for a list of some of our most popular collections.  

Books, movies, and magazines
The library has a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books, DVDs, and Blu-Rays available for you to check-out. We also have a great selection of magazines and local newspapers available at each library branch.

eBooks and eAudiobooks
Our OverDrive and hoopla service give you access to thousands of eBooks and eAudiobooks which can be borrowed anywhere, anytime. All you need is your library card number and PIN.

Express Reads
Our Express Read collection features new and popular titles but for a shorter loan period than a normal book. Items in our Express Read collection cannot be renewed or placed on hold. We do this to help alleviate wait times for people that want to read the newest titles.

Large Print Books
Large print books are printed with a larger type that is bolded and stands out better so they are easier to read. Large print books are available at all library locations in both fiction and non-fiction.

Archives and Local History
Our Archives and Local History collections contain thousands of records and documents about the history of Sault Ste. Marie and the District of Algoma. 

Disc Golf Kit
Borrow a Disc Golf Kit at any of our locations and try out Disc Golf at the City's local course. Each kit contains a Driver Disc, Mid-Range Disc, Putter Disc, as well as instructions and score cards.

Radon Test Kits
Screen your home for radon for free with one of our home test kits. Borrow a test kit for a six week period and find out if your radon levels are in a safe range in your home.

Microfilm & Microfiche Collections
Our microfilm collection includes newspapers, censuses, records from the Archives of Ontario, as well as some books in a microfiche format. Please be aware that our microfilm readers, printers, and scanners are only available at the Centennial Library.

Newspaper Holdings
The library holds current issues of the Sault Star and newspapers from many cities across Ontario as well as some larger cities throughout the rest of Canada. These newspapers can be found in our Reading Area at the Centennial Library.

In addition, the library also has back copies of newspapers available on microfilm:

  • Sault Star (local newspaper) - August 1901 up to the present.
  • Globe and Mail – 1867 to 2015 (Note: There are some occasional gaps in our holdings)
  • Historical local newspapers – Only selected copies are available.

Census
A Canadian census has been conducted every 10 years since 1851. Prior to 1851, the census dates were irregular. The following reels are available at the Centennial Library:

  • Canada West (1842)
  • All of Ontario (1851)
  • Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma District (1861–2011)

Genealogy  
We have all kinds of resources available to assist you with your genealogical research, including census transcripts, cemetery transcripts, vital records (e.g. birth certificate), and an extensive microfilm collection that focuses on Sault Ste. Marie and the District of Algoma. See our Genealogy page for more details.

Book Club in a Bag
If you are a member of a book club, or you are thinking of starting a book club, the library has over 100 titles available for you to borrow for free. See our Book Club page for more details.

Language Materials
We also have several smaller collections of materials in different languages, including:







You can also recommend an item for purchase through our suggest a purchase form, however, we cannot purchase every suggestion and preference is given to materials published in the current year.