Commonly known as the OCAD University, the Ontario College of Art and Design University is a government-run institution of higher education and research in Toronto, Ontario’s provincial capital. It was established as the Ontario School of Art in the year 1876 to extend professional artistic training and promote art education in the city. The institution was renamed thrice between 1886 and 1996 before adopting the name Ontario College of Art and Design. In 2010, the college transitioned into a university under the Act of 2002, thus approving its current name. It has affiliations from the International Association of Universities, Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design and the Canadian Bureau for International Education. The university is also associated with the Council of Ontario Universities and Universities Canada.

The main campus of OCAD U is located at 100 McCaul Street, which is divided into the North Campus and the South Campus. The North Campus is home to the main university building, the Annex Building, Inclusive Design Institute, Sharp Centre for Design, Continuing Education Centre, Rosalie Sharp Pavilion and the Student Centre. Dorothy H. Hoover Library, housed in the Annex Building, is the central library of the university.

The Learning Zone in the building has the OCAD Zine Library, which possesses a collection of periodicals, books, and magazines related to art, design and other subjects.