About – Digital Archive Ontario

About Digital Archive Ontario

Digital Archive Ontario was previously known as the Virtual Reference Library until September, 2018.

Developed and managed with resources from the Toronto Public Library, Digital Archive Ontario (DAO) provides free access to digital material of historical importance to Ontario and Canada.

DAO is a unique and vast digital collection of high quality images including Ontario maps, fire insurance plans and views of towns and cities over time, culled from the Library's collection and dating back to the 1880s.

The site also offers universal access to extensive Canadian literary programming and librarian expertise.

Ontario Libraries

Libraries supplement their local history collections with our photos, maps, postcards, city directories and other items relevant to their communities.

Ontario Residents

Ontarians explore the history of their hometowns and beyond with unrestricted access to our vast digital collection and expert blogs.

Ontario Schools

Educators and students find primary sources for local, provincial and national history by searching our collection or browsing featured subjects.

Funding and Accountability

Toronto Public Library gratefully acknowledges the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport for their annual grant of $1.45 million to support DAO and other digital initiatives benefitting the needs of Ontarians, including the Bridge Project.

Toronto Public Library annually reports to the Ministry on DAO usage, financials and future directions.

Usage

Year	All Page Views¹	Ontario Page Views
2022	2,970,652	1,933,565
2021	2,342,965	1,721,903
2020	2,441,059	1,963,993
2019	2,159,633	1,649,259
2018	1,951,031	1,532,528

¹Page views of our database of digitized items available on DAO, which is our core service. Not included: views of blogs, videos, social media posts or other Ontario-based content from TPL.