Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founder of Fo Guang Shan, once said that reading provides us with four benefits –
it can help us to:
- build up our image
- change our temperaments
- learn more about ourselves
- expand our horizons.
With this philosophy in mind, Fo Guang Shan temples around the world have set up libraries to encourage reading, with the goal of establishing a scholarly society. Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto has 3 library branches: the main branch located on the second floor of the Temple and two branches at the Buddha’s Light Centres in Markham and Waterloo respectively. These library branches are open to the public. Our library currently has a collection of over 25,000 items, including Buddhist and non-Buddhist texts, magazines, as well as audio-visuals in Chinese, English and other languages. These items are classified into the following categories:
卍 Buddhist Texts:
- Humanistic Buddhism
- General Introduction to Buddhist Doctrines
- Collected Works on Buddhism
- Buddhist Doctrines, Philosophy & Theories
- Historical & Geographical Science on Buddhism
- Buddhist Sutra, Vinaya and Abhidharma
- Buddhist Ritual-Customs
- Buddhist Practices
- Literature & Arts of Buddhism
- Buddhist Denominations/Sects
Non-Buddhist Texts:
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Studies on Other Religions
- Natural Sciences
- Applied Sciences
- Social Sciences
- History & Geography
- Languages & Linguistics
Videos:
- Seminars & Lectures on Buddhism
- Seminars & Lectures on Special Topics
- Documentaries
- Historical Films
- Biographies
- Classic Films
- Arts & Cultures
- Sciences
- Educations
Audios:
- Seminars & Lectures on Buddhism
- Seminars & Lectures on Special Topics
- Seminars & Lectures on Everyday Living
- Buddhist Chanting
- Language Learning
The Fo Guang Shan Temple Library of Toronto asks that all patrons follow the guidelines and rules as described below:
Library Hours
- Mississauga branch: Tuesday–Sunday from 10:00am-4:00pm
- Markham and Waterloo branches: Temporarily Closed
General Rules:
- Please refrain from making noise in the library.
- No food and drink are allowed in the library.
Borrowing From the Library:
- Patrons with a valid “Fo Guang Card” may borrow up to 4 books/magazines, 3 audioCDs, and 2 videos (VCDs/DVDs).
- The old library cards are no longer valid for use. Patrons who would like to apply for a“Fo Guang Card” can do so at the front desk. This card is for personal use only and should not be shared with others.
- To borrow items from the library, patrons must present their “Fo Guang Card” at the circulation desk.
- Library items can be checked out for 3 weeks, and can be renewed once if they are not reserved for another patron. Renewal can be done via phone call, email or in-person.
- Reserved items must be picked up within one week of notification. Reservations not picked up within one week will be cancelled.
Returns and Renewals:
- Library items can be checked out for 3 weeks, and can be renewed once if they are not reserved for another patron. Renewal can be done via phone call, email orin-person.
- Checked out items must be returned by their due date to the library circulation desk during opening hours.
Overdue Items and Fines:
- The library charges overdue fines for library items to ensure continued access to our shared resources for everyone.
- Overdue fine for each overdue item is $1.00 per day.
- Failure to return overdue items after 30 days may lead to termination of borrowing privileges.
Lost/Damaged Items and Fines:
- The library charges fines for lost or damaged (disfigured with written marks, missing or torn pages, water-damaged, etc.) items.
- Fine for each lost or damaged item is three times the original cost. This covers the replacement cost and processing cost.
