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Our Mission
Rideau Lakes Public Library builds welcoming spaces connecting and inspiring our community.
Our Vision
Enrich. Support. Empower.
Our History
Originally, four municipalities of South Crosby, Bastard and South Burgess, Rear of Leeds and Lansdowne and Newboro established a union library system with headquarters and main branch in the village of Elgin. Six library branches (eventually five) operated in this fashion until 1998.
With the formation of the new Rideau Lakes Township, we were joined by South Elmsley library housed in the Lombardy Public School. We started up a new library branch in Newboro in that year to serve North Crosby and Newboro ward. Our headquarters were expanded and improved. For three years, we operated as Rideau Lakes/Rear of Leeds and Lansdowne Union Library with seven branches.
A New Chapter
In January 2001, our library entered a new chapter of its history. Our long-term partner, Rear of Leeds and Lansdowne amalgamated with two neighboring municipalities to the south to form Leeds and the 1000 Islands. As a result, we became the Rideau Lakes Public Library, a municipal library with five branches in Elgin, Delta, Portland, Newboro and South Elmsley.
We continue to work closely with our partner sharing an internal courier service, special projects, common library database and reciprocal borrowing.