The legislative library of Upper and Lower Canada, later Parliament Hill Library, was opened in 1876.

The architects Chilion Jones and Thomas Fuller inspired by the British Museum and particularly its reading room constructed a neo-Gothic building, including a reading room and information service. The roof is crowned with a three-tiered dome. The interior impresses with a variety of textures, materials and decor. In the gallery, there are emblems of seven provinces that existed in 1876 as well as the Dominion of Canada. A white marble statue of Queen Victoria stands in the center of the library hall. These are the features of the Victorian Gothic Revival. Massive carved wooden shelves encircle the luxurious round hall admiring the audience.

The library continues participating in the political and legislative life of the country. It provides information, reference materials, researches for parliamentarians, members of various committees, Senate and House of Commons officials. The collection consists of more than 650 000 items covering centuries of history (books alone take over 17 km). 300 people work there: experts in law, economics and other fields of science. The specialists process hundreds of requests a day, providing users with info and other help within a few hours.

Library and archive materials still come from government agencies, national communities, private donators, and are also replenished through the legal deposit system. The library primarily specializes in historical and cultural materials closely related to Canada. Here, you can find indigenous magazines, albums, photos, architectural and art sketches, artifacts, works of art, comics, newspapers, periodicals, microfilms, tracts, trade catalogs, dissertations, etc. There is also an extensive electronic database. The Library of Parliament is the main repository of information in Canada.