BPL Community Photo Collection

waving Santa and reindeer float circa 1999

Burlington’s story is all about the people who have ever called this community home. It’s an important story about our shared heritage as Burlingtonians. With the help of past and present residents, BPL collects and safekeeps photographs through the Burlington Digital Archive, to preserve our memories for the enjoyment of generations to come. By sharing your photos, you are adding to Burlington’s story—and BPL’s digital collection!

To help build our digital collection, BPL will, from time to time, invite submissions related to specific community events and themes. Read about our current campaign—on now until March 31, 2027.

Photos that meet our collection criteria and are selected for the digital collection will be preserved in the Burlington Digital Archive, where everyone can view and download them. 

How to Submit Your Photos

It’s easy to participate! You can donate your photographs using the online form below or by contacting the Local History & Digital Archive Coordinator and visiting Central Branch in person. Please be aware that we may edit photograph descriptions for length and clarity.

Digital Photographs

  • Fill out the form below and include as much information as you can about the photographs.
  • Attach photographs to the form as JPGs.
  • We will only use the provided contact information if we have questions about your photos.

Physical Photographs

  • Arrange a convenient date and time with the Local History & Digital Archive Coordinator to drop off your photographs at Central Branch.
  • You will receive a form to complete with photograph information. You can fill out the form online or in person when dropping off photographs.
  • Photographs will be digitized by library staff. The Coordinator will notify you when they’re ready for pickup.
  • If you wish to donate the physical photograph to Burlington Public Library’s Archives, please let the Coordinator know when submitting it.
  • Please note that digital copies will not be provided directly to you, but once added to the Burlington Digital Archive, you can download and save the images.

Photograph Standards

All photographs must be:

  • Directly related to a BPL photo campaign, for example, the Santa Claus Parade.
  • Clear and of good quality. Please do not submit blurry, dark, or otherwise obstructed photos that make the image difficult to see.
  • Located in Burlington, Ontario.
  • Owned by you or granted permission to use by the photographer. Photos taken in 2000 or later may need additional review to respect the privacy of the people pictured.

We welcome all photograph submissions, but may decline or remove submissions that fall outside the project scope or don't meet our collection criteria. 

  • Digital submissions that do not meet our collection criteria will be deleted from the repository after two months.
  • Physical submissions that do not meet the collection criteria will be returned to the donor. We'll make every reasonable effort to ensure these items are returned to the original owner.

Local History Donations

Do you have other photographs or materials that capture Burlington’s history? We're happy to answer questions you may have about donating to BPL's local history collection.

Santa Claus Parade Photo Campaign

Building on the success of last year's Santa Claus Parade photo drive, we're inviting you to share your photos once again. Submissions are open until March 31, 2027. Browse the Santa Claus Parade digital collection—and help it grow!

The City of Burlington’s Santa Claus Parade is a longstanding tradition that sees the community come together during the holiday season. Many Burlington residents have fond memories of this parade, and we want to capture them by creating a digital photo collection for everyone to enjoy. You can be part of our community-driven collection by submitting your photographs.

We're looking for photographs that may include:

  • Parade floats and parade participants (marching bands, dance troupes, performers in costume, etc.
  • Crowds and spectators
  • Local businesses or organizations represented in the parade.
  • Volunteers setting up or organizing the event
  • Holiday decorations, buildings, and signs that are directly related to the Santa Claus Parade
  • “Behind the scenes” preparations and setup
  • Parade route maps

Questions about our Santa Claus Parade collection? Please don't hesitate to contact us!

Online Photo Submission Form

Please note, we are only accepting photos for the Burlington Santa Claus Parade collection at this time.

One file only.
32 MB limit.
Allowed types: jpg jpeg png.

By submitting photographs to the Burlington Digital Archive, I agree to have my name published as the donor of the submitted photograph(s). By checking the box provided, I declare that I am the copyright owner of all photographs submitted.

I hereby grant Burlington Public Library exclusive and irrevocable rights to use the submitted photograph(s) for non-commercial purposes. This includes the right to present, display, and make these items available to the public—both in physical and electronic formats—for educational reference, research, and personal use. By transferring these rights to Burlington Public Library, I understand that the donated materials will become the sole property of the Library, and may be used, deselected from the collection, or transferred to another institution as deemed necessary by the Library.

I acknowledge that I am expressly waiving my right to inspect or approve any image that Burlington Public Library may choose to use for publication or display, as described above.

I confirm that I will not receive any monetary compensation or other consideration for the use of my photograph(s), and I specifically waive any right to make a claim for such compensation.

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