Cobourg Public Library Information

Our Library collection includes not only books, but magazines, newspapers, audiobooks, graphic novels, music CDs, DVDs, and Games. We have a great Local History Room to research your family history, public computers, printer, scanner, photocopier and free wireless access. Our Library provides access to numerous databases, including Ancestry Library edition, Auto Repair Reference Center, Consumer Health Complete, Art & Architecture Complete, Tumblebooks, and many more. We also provide access to OverDrive - to download e-books and e-audiobooks for free. Check out our newspaper index and archival photos and documents online too! In Cobourg the new term "public library" was first used in 1895 when the operation of the Mechanics Institute came under the Public Libraries Act. Under the auspices of the Department of Education, the public library emerged to serve a broader public. Early sources indicate that the library was located at the Town Hall, but in 1889 the Mechanics Institute rented space in the Y.M.C.A. building - 86 King Street West. This was its home until the move in 1964 to 18 Chapel Street. In 1995 the Library moved to its present location at 200 Ontario Street.