graphic of the Burlington Pier; text reads Local Authors
Check it Out

Local Authors Welcome!

Burlington Public Library’s lending collection is quite eclectic—books, DVDs, jigsaw puzzles, iPads (and lots of other technology), seeds, community passes—the list goes on! But we have a unique and treasured book collection you may not know about—our Local Author collection.

Burlington book lovers are lucky to live in a city where writing talent thrives—from Burlington-based or -raised authors represented by major publishing houses to those literary artists whose works find their way to readers through small presses or self-publishing. BPL is proud to support local authors by bringing awareness to residents and encouraging our community to "read local"! 

five authors holding their books, Jennifer Maruno, Jennifer Mook-Sang, Jennifer Faria, Lana Button, and Sylvia McNicoll

Local children's authors (back, left to right) - Jennifer Maruno, Jennifer Mook-Sang, Jennifer Faria; (front) Lana Button, Sylvia McNicoll

Where to Find the Books

Our adult and children’s local author collections are located on the second floor of Central Branch. You can find the adult books on the shelves across from the information desk, while the local author collection for kids lives between the children’s non-fiction titles and the juvenile fiction chapter books.

You can always browse the collection online and then place a hold using your BPL card—we'll make sure the item is sent to your local branch for you to pick up.

Help Build Our Collection  

We encourage local authors to donate a physical copy of their published work to the library. The process is quite simple if you live in Burlington or Halton Region. 

Authors - Visit our BOOKS page from the top main menu of the library website. Under the Connect section, you’ll find the Local Authors feature box that takes you to a web page outlining the eligibility requirements and a link to our Local Author Application form. We'll let you know our decision once we receive and review your application. 

Readers - If we have missed any Burlington-based authors with published works, please let us know through our Suggest a Title online form, and we'll investigate.

Please keep in mind that only some titles are appropriate for our collection. Academic titles or textbooks are better suited to educational institutions than public libraries.

So,  head up to the second floor next time you’re at Central Branch and discover what Burlington's published authors are writing about!