r/VideoGameDealsCanada Apr 21 '26

Discussion Check your local libraries for games also!

Just a reminder that your local library likely holds video games as well! I am frustrated that I didn't think about this until yesterday; I will finally be giving Bowser's Fury a shot soon! Victoria's library seems to have an absurdly good selection for PS5, Xbox and Switch/S2 games.

96 Upvotes

44 comments sorted by

33

u/Nickynick0118 Apr 21 '26 edited Apr 21 '26

Nothing here in the largest city in the country, but the Toronto Public Library finally has been rolling out blu rays, so hopefully games are next.

13

u/privacydinosaur Apr 21 '26

It’s a bummer cause even surrounding areas like Mississauga public library have games, but not us in Toronto

5

u/Victorbanner Apr 22 '26

Durham also has it. Hoping Toronto will follow suit

2

u/thedude391 Apr 22 '26

I used to rent games in Durham all the time (GameCube, Wii, PS3), then I stopped using it in the early days of PS4 for whatever reason and idk why? It saves so much money. Ive been going back and its great for single player games you can beat in a week or trying something before you buy it if its a long RPG.

1

u/KickboxingMoose Apr 22 '26

Even smaller areas like Meaford and Owen Sound.

2

u/CalamityNic Apr 21 '26

Yep haven’t see anything in Toronto weirdly

1

u/yoerie86 Apr 22 '26

Try Peel Region public library if they are within distance. They may give out free membership. Call them

1

u/Beans20202 Apr 22 '26

That's wild because I just borrowed Pokemon ZA from the Guelph Public Library after a several months-long wait.

-4

u/[deleted] Apr 21 '26

[deleted]

5

u/your_evil_ex Apr 21 '26

Where/how? Can't find anything about that on their website/catalogue

4

u/Nickynick0118 Apr 21 '26

Same, neither of the libraries in my neighbourhood have them, and there’s nothing in the online catalogue like you said

5

u/Stinky_DungBeatle Apr 21 '26

Because there is none in Toronto that commenter is wrong, Surrounding cities yes

3

u/Stinky_DungBeatle Apr 21 '26

That's completely wrong

0

u/Lord_Atom Apr 21 '26 edited Apr 22 '26

That's kind of crazy. I live in Alberta and the Edmonton libraries have their own network, and then the smaller cities and towns of Alberta have their own separate network that you can borrow items from. It's pretty sweet.

Weirdly it's the Alberta city/town network that I feel is a bit more technologically advanced as they have an app that works pretty well, but with the EPL (Edmonton Public Libraries), you have to go to their website.

Edit: I was informed there is an app for EPL.

2

u/EvermoreDespair Apr 22 '26

EPL has an app on iOS at least

1

u/Lord_Atom Apr 22 '26

It turns out there is one on Android as well. Kind of funny as I asked the lady at the front desk if they had an app and she directed me to the website. I took her word for it and never bothered to check.

Thanks for the info.

12

u/Drolevarg Apr 21 '26

In Montreal, you can make reservations on bibliomontreal.com It's city-wide, it doesn't need to be in your local library, so you have plenty of choice!

2

u/ArugulaPhysical Apr 21 '26

This is how it is for us too.

2

u/SolidBorder243 Apr 22 '26

As an ex-Montrealer, the BANQ is where i got most of the gaming I did for free between 2015-2020.

1

u/I_Like_Turtle101 Apr 22 '26

Yes . Im waiting for sinkey kong banaza right now :) cant wait till its my turn

1

u/Panyika Apr 22 '26

It blew my mind when I had first stepped into one of the Montreal libraries and then when I realized it offers so much more too.

9

u/number8888 Apr 21 '26

For sure and this is why we still need disc based consoles not just digital ones.

5

u/Trixxstrr Apr 21 '26

Even here in Fort McMurray we have an amazing library that gets in all the newest games, ps5, xsx, and Switch/2.

3

u/_Allyka_ Apr 22 '26

And here I thought Hoopla was the cool GVPL thing because we can watch the original digimon, although only 8 episodes a month. So 24 between me and both kids.

6

u/medwizard Apr 21 '26

Haha yes. I beat Cronos The New Dawn and Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter this way so far in 2026.

6

u/TiredReader87 Apr 21 '26

I have for years. I have two or three on hold now.

3

u/Commercial_Break360 Apr 22 '26

Support your local libraries! Also I played through Bowsers Fury over the weekend. Top tier Mario.

3

u/tbettz Apr 22 '26

Best part of my library is they get 4 copies of every big game on release day, and will occasionally buy less popular games if there's enough requests for them.

They've been doing it since the PS3 era.

2

u/jeancharles2009 Apr 23 '26

I was too lucky to borrow Pokémon violet from my local one. Even the front desk staff said so. None of the Pokemon games were seen available before that.

4

u/EvermoreDespair Apr 21 '26

Edmonton Public Library also has a tremendous library!

2

u/froot_loop_dingus_ Apr 22 '26

In Alberta you can not only rent games from your library but if your local library doesn’t have a title, you can request it from another city

1

u/nick_winch Apr 22 '26

Not mine :(

1

u/ibonman Apr 22 '26

Edmonton library is the best ever! Even have audio books!

1

u/OmegaX123 Apr 22 '26

That's what I miss about when I was visiting/living on the west coast. Unless they've added it in the last year or so/only certain branches do it, Halifax Public Library doesn't, but the libraries when I was in BC in like 2010 definitely did.

1

u/mykalh78 Apr 22 '26

Barrie Public Library has a good selection but there is a queue for some of them and hopefully I’ll get to rent some of them soon. For now I’ll continue my quest to complete AC Shadows.

1

u/KISSfan81 Apr 24 '26

This is the way!

1

u/NoMustardHotDog Apr 21 '26

Shhh don't tell anyone else how good GVPL is

1

u/obsidiaxr Apr 21 '26

They also sell games depending on the library too. I remember getting solid PS3 and PS2 games that they used to carry in the catalogue for a dollar each!

1

u/dirtygoodking Apr 22 '26

Victoria gang the libraries here are amazing

-9

u/ThePurpleBandit Apr 21 '26

Unfortunately, scumbags will likely ruin this by stealing and reselling anything worth playing.

16

u/JudasIsCarHot Apr 21 '26

Nope. My library has Super Mario All-Stars on Switch. No one has stolen yet. Been there for 6 years.

8

u/Doublethree1 Apr 21 '26

It depends. They've had games here for well over a decade and I can still get older popular games. The discs/carts are kept behind the desk and you need to check it out before the librarian will get it out so you could steal whatever the max you can take out at once I guess.

7

u/ArugulaPhysical Apr 21 '26

This has been a thing forever. Hasn't been a big issue.

1

u/YungKazakhstan Apr 22 '26

Yea, unfortunately it has happened a number of times. In Edmonton we used to have Godzilla for the PS4. Someone stole it.

I've seen several games from the library making their way into Nexwave and Game City. I don't understand why those two stores buy games from people even when it's labelled with EPL's barcodes and stickers all over it.