Library of Parliament, Ottawa

The Library of Parliament is the main information and research hub for the Parliament of Canada, situated at the rear of Parliament Hill's Centre Block in Ottawa. Designed by Thomas Fuller and Chilion Jones, the library building draws inspiration from the British Museum Reading Room. Despite undergoing several renovations since its creation in 1876, its original form and decor have been mostly preserved. It is now an iconic Canadian landmark and is depicted on the front of the ten-dollar bill.

The library walls have 16 flying buttresses and are made of double-wythe masonry. They include a core of hydraulic lime rubble fill, with an inner layer of dressed stone and an outer layer of rustic Nepean sandstone. The windows and edges are decorated with stone trim and carvings depicting floral patterns and frieze in the Victorian High Gothic style. The roof, originally timber, and slate, has been rebuilt with steel framing and copper covering. It has three tiers and a cupola on top.

The reading room features a vaulted ceiling and intricately carved white pine paneling with diverse textures, flowers, masks, and mythical creatures. The galleries showcase coats of arms from seven provinces in 1876, along with the Dominion of Canada's emblem. In the center stands a white marble statue of Queen Victoria, sculpted by Marshall Wood in 1871.

The library houses 650,000 items and has a staff of 300. While primarily for parliamentary use, it publishes research accessible to the public. The main branch on Parliament Hill is the central hub of a larger complex with branch libraries and reading rooms in other parliamentary buildings.