About Us
Your library by the lake
Welcome!
We are a community hub located in the heart of the Township of McKellar. As a public library, we provide access to diverse resources, technology, programs, and a warm, small‑town atmosphere.
Our Mission
We aim to support lifelong learning, literacy, creativity, and community connection. Whether you’re discovering your next favourite book, exploring local history, accessing technology, or joining one of our programs, we’re here to help you grow, learn, and feel at home.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that the land on which our library stands is the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe and Mississauga peoples. Its boundaries fall within the Robinson‑Huron Treaty of 1850 and the Williams Treaty of 1923. We pledge to work in community and harmony with one another and with the environment we inhabit as we move toward Truth and Reconciliation.
Our History
In 1982, David Moore, Gerald Bell, Kathy Quinn, Alma Gordon and Joan Ward established the first McKellar Township Public Library. The location for this new library was the cloakroom of the old schoolhouse located across from Minerva Park, (where the Township Roads Building now stands).
Joan Ward volunteered to be the librarian. The library was established with dedication and hard work. David Moore remembers going door-to-door, sometimes with his wife Ann and their young children in strollers, to take a survey, as requested by the standing council to see if the residents of McKellar would support a local library.
Initially, the library’s book collection was developed by donations only. Joan Ward volunteered her time and enjoyed sharing her love of reading with the community. They even had an old van used as a “bookmobile” to reach the more rural areas.
In 1992, when the new township building was erected, a room was built to house the library. Joan Ward became a paid employee and with the help of the township and provincial grants, the library began to grow and become a hub of the community. Eventually, an addition was added to the library. and new staff were hired to help Joan.
The McKellar Library Board consists of dedicated residents who volunteer their time and expertise to govern the library. In fact, in 2025, the McKellar Library Board was awarded the Joyce Cunningham Award for “Public Library Board of the Year”! This award is given to high-performance public library boards. To be chosen as Library Board of the Year out of all Ontario, was an incredible honour to our board members and the library staff. Our board had just applied for and was granted a large grant to add a Maker Space and technical improvements to our library. It was a big year of change and growth for the Board and Staff. We now have a Maker Space complete with 3D printer, sewing machines, Cricut and more. This means we can offer creative technology to our community and it has helped make our rural library-by-the-lake the heart of our community.
Over the years, our collection has developed to almost 10,000 titles in print and thousands of digital copies. We have a growing “Library of Things” which include fishing rods, sewing machines, pasta maker, S.T.E.M. kits, and much more! We are extremely proud of our library. Visitors often comment on the beautiful view overlooking Armstrong Lake. Our cottagers love to visit us every year and we love having them. We enjoy the community quality of our library and our staff are dedicated to striving to be a hub for our committees and our community at large.
Drop by, meet our staff, browse our library and ask about obtaining a library card!