From its humble beginnings in a windowless room in 1971, the Airdrie Public Library (APL) has always been about the community and its needs. It began thanks to the efforts of 9 different community groups coming together to fill a void for our city. Now, after half a century of serving Airdrie and surrounding areas, APL is ready to move its story forward in a beautiful new building and is looking for partners as we expand our collection, our services, our space and most importantly, our commitment to community.

Airdrie is Alberta’s fastest growing city with a 20.3% increase in population over the last 5 years. The largest segment of growth is in young families and newcomers, who are also the primary users of the library. As the population grows, a larger library will better serve the citizens who need it now and, in the years to come. The City of Airdrie, in response to community engagement, recognizes the importance of and need for a bigger, better library.  They have committed to building the Airdrie Multi-Use and Library Facility, named Inspire, scheduled to open in the Fall of 2025. The new facility will be 73,000 square feet of shared space with the Airdrie Public Library occupying 53,000 square feet which is 4 times the size of our current library. The City of Airdrie is providing the building and now, it’s up to APL to raise $1.5 million dollars to fill our fabulous new space with the resources and social spaces the community has asked for.