Public Libraries Act

Public Libraries Act—sometimes simply Libraries Act—is a stock short title used in the United Kingdom and Canada for legislation ("Acts of Parliament") relating to public libraries.

Canada

In Canada, public libraries are local jurisdiction, with authority from provincial/territorial legislation.

• Canada (federal library) — Library and Archives of Canada Act (S.C. 2004, c. 11)^[1]
• Alberta — Libraries Act, RSA 2000, c. L-11^[2]
• British Columbia — Library Act, RSBC 1996, c. 264^[3]
• Manitoba — Public Libraries Act, CCSM, c. P220^[4]
• New Brunswick — New Brunswick Public Libraries Act, RSNB 2011, c. 194^[5]
• Newfoundland and Labrador — Public Libraries Act, RSNL 1990, c. P-40^[6]
• Northwest Territories — Public Libraries Act, SNWT 2009, c. 7^[7]
• Nova Scotia — Libraries Act, RSNS 1989, c. 254^[8]
• Nunavut — Library Act, RSNWT (Nu) 1988, c. L-7^[9]
• Ontario — Public Libraries Act, RSO 1990, c. P.44^[10]
• Prince Edward Island — Public Libraries Act, RSPEI 1988, c. P-31.1^[11]
• Saskatchewan — Public Libraries Act, 1996, SS 1996, c, P-39.2^[12]
• Yukon — Public Libraries Act, RSY 2002, c. 178^[13]

United Kingdom

• The Public Libraries Act 1850 (13 & 14 Vict. c. 65)
• The Public Libraries Act 1853 (16 & 17 Vict. c. 101)
• The Public Libraries (Scotland) Act 1854 (17 & 18 Vict. c. 64)
• The Public Libraries Act 1855 (18 & 19 Vict. c. 70)
• The Public Libraries (Ireland) Act 1855 (18 & 19 Vict. c. 40)
• The Public Libraries Amendment Act 1866 (29 & 30 Vict. c. 114)
• The Public Libraries (Scotland) Act 1867 (30 & 31 Vict. c. 37)
• The Public Libraries Amendment Act 1877 (40 & 41 Vict. c. 54)
• The Public Libraries (Ireland) Amendment Act 1877 (40 & 41 Vict. c. 15)
• The Public Libraries Act 1884 (47 & 48 Vict. c. 37)
• The Public Libraries Consolidation (Scotland) Act 1887 (50 & 51 Vict. c. 42)
• The Public Libraries Act 1892 (55 & 56 Vict. c. 53)
• The Public Libraries (Amendment) Act 1893 (56 & 57 Vict. c. 11)
• The Public Libraries (Scotland) Act 1894 (57 & 58 Vict. c. 20)
• The Public Libraries (Ireland) Act 1894 (57 & 58 Vict. c. 38)
• The Public Libraries (Ireland) Act 1902 (2 Edw. 7. c. 20)
• The Public Libraries (Scotland) Act 1920 (10 & 11 Geo. 5. c. 45)
• The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 (c. 75)

Collective titles

• The Public Libraries Acts 1892 and 1893 was the collective title of the Public Libraries Act 1892 (55 & 56 Vict. c. 53) and the Public Libraries (Amendment) Act 1893 (56 & 57 Vict. c. 11).^[14]
• The Public Libraries (Scotland) Acts 1887 and 1894 was the collective title of the Public Libraries Consolidation (Scotland) Act 1887 (50 & 51 Vict. c. 42) and the Public Libraries (Scotland) Act 1894 (57 & 58 Vict. c. 20).^[14]
• The Public Libraries (Ireland) Acts 1855 to 1894 was the collective title of the acts of those years, relating to Ireland.^[14]

See also

• Museums Act 1845
• List of short titles

References

1. Branch, Legislative Services (26 February 2015). "Consolidated federal laws of canada, Library and Archives of Canada Act". laws-lois.justice.gc.ca. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
2. "Libraries Act - Open Government". open.alberta.ca. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
3. "Library Act". www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
4. "CanLII - Public Libraries Act, C.C.S.M. c. P220". Archived from the original on 31 August 2010. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
5. https://www.canlii.org/en/nb/laws/stat/rsnb-2011-c-194/latest/rsnb-2011-c-194.html
6. "RSNL1990 CHAPTER P-40 - PUBLIC LIBRARIES ACT". Archived from the original on 1 November 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
7. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 August 2016.
8. "Libraries Act". nslegislature.ca. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
9. https://www.canlii.org/en/nu/laws/stat/rsnwt-nu-1988-c-l-7/latest/rsnwt-nu-1988-c-l-7.html
10. "Information on the Public Libraries Act | ontario.ca". www.ontario.ca. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
11. https://www.canlii.org/en/pe/laws/stat/rspei-1988-c-p-31.1/latest/rspei-1988-c-p-31.1.html
12. https://www.canlii.org/en/sk/laws/stat/ss-1996-c-p-39.2/latest/ss-1996-c-p-39.2.html
13. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 October 2021.
14. The Short Titles Act 1896, section 2(1) and Schedule 2