The following is a list of Canadian public libraries who have conducted an economic impact study applying this cost-benefit analysis (CBA) model first used by Toronto Public Library in 2013.
| CBA is a commonly used approach to to estimate the economic impact of public institutions. Please read “Understanding Economic Impact and Public Libraries” for a detailed explanation of how CBA is applied to public libraries. |
This CBA model is open and available for public use. Ottawa Public Library’s spreadsheet of calculations and data is open for others to use to calculate their own economic impact.
This list is maintained by Brightsail Research. Please send additions and corrections to Kimberly Silk.
| Library | Year Published | 2011 Census Population | # Branches (at time of study) | Return on $1 Invested |
| Toronto Public Library | 2013 | 2,615,060 | 98 | $5.63 |
| Halton Hills Public Library | 2014 | 59,008 | 2 | $3.96 |
| Milton Public Library | 2014 | 84,362 | 2 | $5.67 |
| Pickering Public Library | 2014 | 88,721 | 3 | $5.85 |
| Stratford Public Library | 2015 | 30,886 | 1 | $5.63 |
| Sault Ste-Marie Public Library (1) | 2015 | 75,000 | 3 | $2.36 |
| Kawartha Lakes Public Library | 2015 | 73,214 | 15 | $7.05 |
| London Public Library | 2015 | 366,151 | 16 | $6.68 |
| Vancouver Island Regional Library | 2016 | 430,000 | 38 | $5.36 |
| Ottawa Public Library | 2016 | 883,391 | 33 | $5.17 |
| Newmarket Public Library | 2016 | 79,978 | 1 | $7.85 |
| Edmonton Public Library | 2016 | 812,200 | 22 | $3.11 |
| Burlington Public Library | 2017 | 175,780 | 7 | $5.64 |
| Hamilton Public Library | 2017 | 519,950 | 22 | $5.59 |
| Vaughan Public Libraries | 2017 | 288,300 | 9 | $5.57 |
| Markham Public Library | 2017 | 301,709 | 8 | $5.97 |
| Sault Ste-Marie Public Library (1) | 2018 | 75,000 | 2 | $3.18 |
| Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library | 2019 | 28,077 | 1 | $4.65 |
| Woodstock Public Library | 2020 | 24,421 | 1 | $7.20 |
Note 1:
Sault Ste-Marie’s original 2015 study was updated in 2018.
Prepared by
Kimberly Silk, MLS
Principal Consultant
Brightsail Research
416-721-8955 | kim@brightsail.com