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History of Toronto Public Library

 
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1830

York Mechanics' Institute is established "for the mutual improvement of its members in useful scientific knowledge ... A library of reference and circulation will be formed." 		York Mechanics' Institute. This Institution was formed in the winter of 1831 by the exertions of a few public-spirited individuals. Its views at present are confined to two objects, viz. The acquisition of valuable and extensive Library and the diffusion of useful knowledge by means of Lectures and experiments. The government of this Institution is vested in a President, five Vice-Presidents, two Secretaries, and twelve Managers. Their Names at Present Are, Hon. John Henry Dunn, Patron. Doctor W. W. Baldwin, President. Doctor Rolph, Dr. Dunlop B Jarvis, Esq. M.P., John Ewart Esq. James Lesslie and Timothy Parson, Secretaries. Committee. Messrs: Thos. Carafrae, Jun., J. W. Brent, J, Durward, Wm. Musson, James Worts, John Murchison, Charles Stotesbury, David Paterson, Rev. A. Steward, Alexander Thompson, Thomas Armstrong, Alexander Stewart. The Meetings are held (by permission of the Sheriff) in the Grand Jury-room. The library is kept at Mr. Timothy Parson's 215 King street. The Annual subscription is 5s.

York Mechanics' Institute notice in the York Commercial Directory, 1833

1834

Toronto Mechanics' Institute relocates its library and news-room to the upper floor of the new Central Fire Hall (behind the County Court House) on the north side of Court-house lane (now Court Street), west of Church Street between King and Adelaide streets.

Toronto Mechanics' Institute diploma, designed by Sandford Fleming, 1850.

1834

Scarboro' Subscription Library is established. 		listing of religious works available at the subscription library

Scarboro Subscription Library Catalogue, 1872

1845

Toronto Mechanics' Institute relocates its library and news-room to the upper floor of the new Central Fire Hall (behind the County Court House) on the north side of Court-house lane (now Court Street), west of Church Street between King and Adelaide streets.

Toronto Mechanics' Institute, Court Street Firehall, 1860.

1858

Weston Mechanics' Institute is established.

Weston Town Hall, 1955, location of the Weston Mechanics' Institute (later Weston Public Library), 1885-1914.

1861

Toronto Mechanics' Institute moves into its new home at the northeast corner of Church and Adelaide streets. Designed by F. W. Cumberland & G. W. Storm, the building contains a library with a separate reading room, a lecture hall and a large music hall.

Toronto Mechanics' Institute, 1867.

1870s and 1880s

Mechanics' Institutes with lending libraries and reading rooms are incorporated at Scarboro' (1878), Parkdale (1880) and West Toronto Junction (1888); and revitalized and reorganized at Weston (1885).

Campbell Block, location of West Toronto Junction Mechanics' Institute, 1889-93.

1882

Free Libraries Act is passed by the Ontario Legislature. Alderman John Hallam leads the Toronto campaign to establish a free public library in Toronto. 		Card reading Vote for a Free Library

Campaign card for the free public library, c.1882.

1883

Free Library By-Law is approved by a huge majority of Toronto voters, Jan. 1. Toronto and Guelph are the first municipalities in Ontario to create free public libraries. John Hallam becomes the first chairman of the Toronto Public Library Board.

John Hallam (1883-1900), first chairman of the Toronto Public Library Board, 1883

1884

Toronto Public Library officially opens in the old Mechanics' Institute building, Church and Adelaide streets, on 6 March – the city's 50th anniversary.

Invitation to the opening of Toronto Public Library, March 6, 1884.

1884

Two branches, Northern and Western, are opened, followed by two additional branches in 1888, North Western and Eastern, all housed in rented quarters.

Northern Branch, St. Paul's Hall (formerly Yorkville Town Hall), Yonge Street, west side, looking west on Collier Street, 1907.

1885

Books in German and French are bought, the beginnings of the library's multi-language collections. Works in Russian, Yiddish, Italian and Lithuanian are added in the 1910s for recent European immigrants.

Reference Library staff, c.1895.

1887

Policy to collect Canadiana is established. James Bain Jr., the first chief librarian, begins building the library's special collections of publications and manuscripts documenting Canada.

James Bain Jr. (1842-1908), first chief librarian, 1883-1908.

1890s

Mechanics' institutes, renamed public libraries on 1 May 1895, are formed at Highland Creek (1890) Islington (1890), Don (1896) and Bracondale (1898).

Don Public Library in Aggie Hogg's store, 1925.

1890

Toronto Public Library opens Dundas Street Branch in January 1890 in rented quarters on today's Ossington Avenue north of Queen Street, using furniture and books transferred from the former Parkdale Mechanics' Institute library, annexed to Toronto in 1889.

1896

Scarborough Centennial Memorial Library is built as part of the township's 100th anniversary celebrations.

1900s

Public libraries are established at East Toronto (1903), Deer Park (1905), North Toronto (1909) and Runnymede (1909). Toronto Public Library opens College Street Branch in rented quarters at the corner of Brunswick Avenue.

Runnymede Public Library, York Township, about 1912.

1903

Toronto is awarded a Carnegie grant of $350,000 for a new central library (1909) and three branches: Yorkville (1907), Queen & Lisgar (1909-1964), and Riverdale (1910).
Toronto's Carnegie Libraries 		Andrew Carnegie 2 east 91sth street new york 23rd January, 1903 jas. Bain, esq. chief librarian, Toronto ont Canada dear sir Mr. Carnegie has read your letter of 20th January and asks me to say that he will take pleasure in giving three hundred and fifty thousand dollars for a new central library building and three branch library buildings for Toronto the latter to cost seventy-five thousand dollars. This conditioned upon Toronto guaranteeing by resolution of councils to support the libraries at cost of not less than thirty-five thousand dollars per year, and to give suitable sites for the buildings respectfully yours p. secretary

Letter offering Carnegie grant, January 23, 1903.

1909

Toronto Reference Library is opened at the northwest corner of College and St. George streets with 97,788 books.

Toronto Reference Library, College & St. George streets, 1910.

1909

Western (now Annette Street) Branch opens. It was built with a $20,000 Carnegie grant to the old City of West Toronto, amalgamated with Toronto in May 1909.

Western Branch, Annette and Medland streets, about 1910

1909

Open shelf system is adopted allowing borrowers in the branches to retrieve books themselves instead of asking library staff 		Toronto public library open access shelves circulating libraries church collegeyorkville queen and lisgar riverdale western and deer park the difficulties of administration are multiplied under this system and on behalf of the assistant librarians I ask the public to cooperate in helping to keep the shelves in an orderly condition. This is asked in the interests of the borrowers who are daily complaining of the condition of our shelves. When a borrower is careless in handling books and neglects to put them on the shelves in an upright condition, he is handicapping his neighbour who is equally interested with him in looking for suitable literature. There was an impression among unthinking individuals that the books in a public library belong to some body that has only a corporate existence and hence carelessness in handling the property was not accounted disgraceful. It is interesting to notice that a better public spirit is being aroused and, indeed, is going so far, that reports from borrowers are being sent to the chief librarian informing him as to certain more or less flagrant offenders. This means that your neighbour is interested in the manner in which you handle the property in which he has a share. This is the library of the people of Toronto, and the position of the public library board is to see that the administration in the interests of all people is not endangered by selfishness or carelessness of a few individuals. The chief librarian is always ready to receive any written and signed suggestions by the adoption of which any citizen may think the libraries will be made more efficient. George h. locke, chief librarian

Notice about open access shelves, 1909

1910

Toronto Public Library opens branches in storefronts and other rented premises to serve areas recently annexed to Toronto until permanent libraries can be built: Deer Park and Wychwood in 1911; Northern and Earlscourt in 1913, and Beaches and Eastern in 1914. Prior to annexation, some of these areas had their own public libraries.

Earlscourt Branch, 1913

1910s

Library associations are formed at Agincourt (1918) and Swansea. (1919).

Agincourt Association Library, Midland Avenue, west side, north of Donalda Avenue, about 1925

1911

Municipal Reference Library opens in Toronto City Hall. This is the start of special services for civic officials and business people.

Municipal Reference Branch, City Hall, 1911

1911

John Ross Robertson Historical Collection is presented to the Toronto Public Library. 		 

1912

Dewey Decimal system of classification is adopted for all books except fiction. Toronto Public Library's Cataloguing Department prepares An Extension of the Dewey Decimal Classification applied to Canada.

Children's Room, Dovercourt (now Bloor/Gladstone) Branch, 1913.

1913

Dovercourt (now Bloor/Gladstone) Branch opens. It is the first library to be financed fully by the City of Toronto.

Dovercourt (now Bloor/Gladstone) Branch, rendering about 1912.

1913

Mimico Public Library Board is established, opening a Carnegie-funded library in the village in 1915.

Mimico Public Library sketch, 1914.

1914

Weston Public Library Board, established in 1912, opens a Carnegie-funded library in the town.

Weston Public Library, about 1915

1915

A camp library is established at Exhibition Park for troops training to serve in the First World War. Toronto Public Library is the first library in North America to provide this service for soldiers. 		 

1916

Three identical branches, Beaches, High Park and Wychwood, open. They were built with a $50,000 grant to Toronto Public Library in 1908.
Toronto's Carnegie Libraries

Beaches Branch, about 1916

1920

Six new branch libraries open in Toronto: Earlscourt (1921, now Dufferin/St. Clair), Eastern (1921, now Main Street), Northern (1923-1975, later St. Clement's), Gerrard (1924, now Gerrard/Ashdale), Downtown (1927-1965), and Danforth (1929, now Pape/Danforth).

Danforth (now Pape/Danforth) Branch, rendering about 1928.

1921

An association library is created at New Toronto. It transfers its assets to the newly- created New Toronto Library Board in 1923, which opens a new library building in 1928. Another association library is formed at Humber Bay in 1925.

New Toronto Public Library, about 1954

1922

Boys and Girls House opens on St. George Street. It is the first library devoted exclusively to children in the British Empire.

Boys and Girls House, 1922.

1923

Canadian Catalogue of Books is started, an annual list of "books published in Canada about Canada, as well as those written by Canadians." Toronto Public Library continues to prepare and publish this forerunner of Canada's official national bibliography for 28 annual instalments. The National Library of Canada takes over the project in 1951, renaming the bibliography, Canadiana. 		The Canadian catalogue of books published in Canada books about Canada as well as those written by Canadians during 1921 and 1922 compiled by the public library, Toronto published by the department of education of Ontario public libraries branch 1923. this is an attempt to meet the bibliographical situation in Canada where unfortunately for all who are interested in books there is no annual or even biennial list of Canadian books. Everybody felt that somebody ought to attack the problem after waiting for some years for the publishing interests to translate their awareness into action we decided that in self-defence, if for no other reason we must undertake it. As will be noticed from the title, we have tried in the first place to make the list as comprehensive as possible. We have tried to make the list as complete as possible and, as we are hoping to make this an annual publication, the errors and omissions of one year may be corrected in the next. We have included for this initial number, the publications of two years inasmuch as these were specifically distinguished for the output of books of interest upon Canadian subjects. The list has been compiled by a committee of publication of the department of bibliography in the public library. It includes all books about which the committee were able to learn the necessary particulars and such pamphlets, government documents and year boos as in their judgement ought to be of general interest. For the continuance of this work the committee is writing all publishers of Canadian books to send the particulars to the library, and where possible review copies of the publication, which copies will be kept in separate collection for inspection by those especially interested in recent Canadiana. The work has been made much easier of accomplishment by the co-operation of Mr. W. O. Carson, the inspector of public libraries for the province, who used this material for an issue of the Ontario library review and thus helped the ever-troublesome problem of finance. To Madame Huguenin, of La Revue Moderne, we are greatly indebted for the list of Canadian books in French, published during the year 1922. The members of the publication committee are Miss Violet Hyland, the general editor, Miss Marjorie Jarvis, who contributed the introduction, both from the Reference Division; and Miss Myrtle Forman, Miss Frederica Miller and Miss Lillian Muir from the circulating division. George H. Locke Chief Librarian

Canadian Catalogue of Books, 1923

1927

Chief librarian George H. Locke is the first Canadian to be president of the American Library Association, 1926-27. During his presidency, the American Library Association held its annual meeting in Toronto, June 1927.

George H. Locke (1870-1937), chief librarian 1908-1937.

1930

Central Circulating Library is added to the Reference Library.

Central Circulating Library, 1930

1930

Library service is extended to homes for the aged and hospitals

Sunnybrook Hospital Reading Room, 1948

1930

Runnymede Branch opens.

Runnymede Branch, rendering 1929

1933

Mount Dennis Public Library Board is established and opens a library in rented space.

1939

Military Camp Library is established at Exhibition Place for the troops in training there.

Military Camp Library, 1939

1944

Leaside Public Library Board is incorporated, opening a new building at 165 McRae Drive in 1950.

First Leaside Public Library, 645 Bayview Avenue, 1945

1945

Township of York Public Library Board is formed, taking over the assets of the Mount Dennis Library, which operated a small branch in rented quarters above a store.

In 1948, it begins the first bookmobile service in Toronto area. A Main Library on Eglinton, and two new branches, Jane Street and Mount Dennis, open in 1951. 		 

1946

Long Branch Public Library Board holds its first meeting on 22 January. In 1955, it opens its own library building on Lake Shore Boulevard.

1946

Township of East York Public Library Board is established. In 1950, it opens a library at the northeast corner of Coxwell and Mortimer avenues

Charles R. Sanderson, TPL chief librarian, at the opening of East York children's libraries, 1945.

1949

The Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books is presented to the Toronto Public Library Board by Edgar Osborne; the collection represents English children's literature from the 14th century up to 1910

Edgar Osborne and he Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books

1949

George H. Locke Memorial Branch opens, TPL's first new branch since the Depression and the Second World War. It is named for Toronto Public Library's chief librarian, 1908-1937.

George H. Locke Memorial Branch, 1949

1950s

Two new branch buildings open in Toronto: Deer Park (1952) and Parliament Street (1955).

1950

Township of Etobicoke Public Library Board is established. During the 1950s, when Etobicoke's population tripled, branch libraries are opened at Humber Bay (1951), Brentwood (1955) Alderwood (1958) and Rexdale (1959), while a bookmobile serves many neighbourhoods.

Etobicoke Public Library bookmobile, about 1953.

1950

North York Public Library opens on the ground floor of the new North York Memorial Community Hall, Yonge Street, south of Park Home Avenue. By 1997 it has grown into a system of 19 library locations, providing a tiered model of service with a central library, and regional and satellite branches.

1954

Forest Hill Public Library Board is established, with assets transferred from an earlier association library. A new library opens in the village's municipal building built in 1962.

Construction of new Forest Hill Village Library and Municipal Building, 1962.

1955

Scarborough Public Library Board is established, bringing together the Agincourt, Highland Creek and Scarboro library associations, and opening the Golden Mile Branch in 1956. By 1997, it has developed into a system of 19 libraries including neighbourhood and community branches, and three district libraries

Scarborough Public Library bookmobile, 1956

1960s

Twenty-four new libraries open in Metropolitan Toronto: Jones (1962), Parkdale (1964), City Hall (1965) and Charles R. Sanderson (1968, named for the chief librarian, 1937-1956) in Toronto; Eatonville (1964) and Albion Mall (1965) in Etobicoke; Evelyn Gregory (1968) in York; McGregor Park (1960), Bendale (1961) Taylor Memorial (1962), Cedarbrae (1965) Morningside (1968) in Scarborough; S. Walter Stewart (1960) and Todmorden (1961) in East York; Don Mills (1961), Bathurst Heights (1962), Downsview (1963), Woodview Park (1964), Bayview (1966) Centennial (1966), Amesbury Park (1967), Victoria Village (1967), Black Creek (1968) and Brookbanks (1968) in North York. In addition, the old Carnegie library at Mimico is replaced with the Mimico Centennial Library.

Don Mills Branch, North York Public Library, about 1961.

1965

City Hall Branch opens in Toronto's new city hall. As well as a circulating library it houses a business and municipal reference collections.

City Hall Branch, 1965

1967

Public library boards at Forest Hill (est. 1954) and Swansea (est. 1923) are amalgamated with Toronto Public Library Board, when their municipalities became part of the City of Toronto.

TPL logo

1967

Township of East York and the Town of Leaside are amalgamated to form the Borough of East York. The East York Public Library Board is established, amalgamating the public library boards of the former Township of East York (est. 1946) and the Town of Leaside (est. 1944). By 1997 it had five branch locations.

1967

Borough of York Public Library is formed bringing together library facilities from York Township and the Town of Weston; by 1997 it had six branch libraries.

1967

Library boards in the Township of Etobicoke are amalgamated with the towns of Mimico, New Toronto, and Long Branch, forming the Etobicoke Public Library Board, with ten branch locations, increasing to 13 by 1997.

1967

Metropolitan Toronto Library Board is established. The Central Library collections and other special collections were transferred from the Toronto Public Library to the new Metro Board.

Metropolitan Toronto Library Board Logo, 1987

1970s

Eighteen new branches are opened in Metropolitan Toronto: Palmerston (1971), Northern District (1975), Spadina Road (1977), Perth/Dupont (1977) and Queen/Saulter (1979) in Toronto; Albert Campbell (1971), Cliffcrest (1972), Guildwood (1974), Port Union (1974), Bridlewood (1976) and Woodside Square (1977) in Scarborough; Thorncliffe Park (1970) in East York; York Woods (1970), Humber Summit (1974), Hillcrest (1975), Pleasant View (1975), Fairview (1976), and Flemington Park (1978) in North York.

1970

Judith Merril donates her collection to the Toronto Public Library, the beginning of the Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation and Fantasy.

Shut-in Service is inaugurated at Toronto Public Library, and in Etobicoke in 1971.

1977

New Metropolitan Toronto Library opens at 789 Yonge Street at Asquith Avenue

Toronto Reference Library, 1977

1980s

Eleven new branches are opened in Metropolitan Toronto: St. Clair/Silverthorn (1981), St. Lawrence (1982), College/Shaw (1984) and Danforth/Coxwell (1989) in Toronto; Malvern (1982), Maryvale (1982), Steeles (1987) and Kennedy/Eglinton (1988) in Scarborough; Armour Heights (1982) and Jane Sheppard (1989) in North York; and Elmbrook Park (1988) in Etobicoke. In addition, North York Central Library opens in a new facility in 1985.

St. Clair/Silverthorn Branch, 1981

1990s

Four new branches are opened in Metropolitan Toronto before amalgamation: Goldhawk Park (1992) in Scarborough; Northern Elms (1991) and Humberwood (1996) in Etobicoke; and Oakwood Village (1997) in York. In addition, several branches are replaced or renovated.

1997

The City of Toronto Act (Bill 103) is passed by the Ontario Legislature, amalgamating the seven exisiting municipal governments of Metropolitan Toronto

  

1998

Seven library boards in Metropolitan Toronto are united into one library called the Toronto Public Library, with 98 locations, the largest public library system in North America serving a population of 2.3 million. Burrows Hall is the first branch opened by the new Toronto Public Library Board. Josephine Bryant appointed Chief Librarian of the newly amalamaged Toronto Public Library.

Toronto Public Library logo

1999

Integrated online catalogue of the Library's collections is completed, giving unified access to nine million books, magazines, CDs, CD-ROMs and other materials in a hundred different languages.

Virtual Reference Library is launched, providing Internet access to information on key subject areas through a series of gateways, digitized collections and research databases

Virtual Reference Library

2000

Installation of more than 400 Internet workstations acquired through a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Computer Learning Centre, Riverdale Branch, 1997

2000

First strategic plan of the amalgamated Toronto Public Library is prepared to guide the library into the new millennium.

Toronto Public Library Strategic Plan 2000-2003

2001

Toronto Public Library becomes the world's second most used public library by circulation after Hong Kong. Launch of Historicity: Toronto Then and Now, an award-winning Internet gateway to the history of Toronto and its neighbourhoods.

Historicity Toronto Then and Now

2002

Leaside Branch, officially re-opened on June 11, 2002, replaces the old Leaside Branch (1950)

Leaside Branch rendering, 2000

2003

Toronto Public Library hosts the American Library Association Conference, June 19-25

ALA Toronto Logo

2004

Toronto Public Library launches its second strategic plan for 2004-2007: Urban Stories: The Next Chapter

2004

St. James Town, Toronto Public Library's 99th branch, opens October 14

St. James Town Branch, 2004

2005

Beaches (January 20), Malvern (January 28), Northern Elms (April 16), Runnymede (June 8) and Long Branch (September 27) all officially reopen after extensive renovations.

Beaches Branch renovation, 2005

2006

Morningside Branch reopens (May 30), after relocation and reconstruction. Pape/Danforth Branch reopens (August 29) after a major renovation. A site is acquired for Toronto Public Library's 100th Branch at Bathurst Street and Fort York Blvd. Project is expected to commence in 2008.

Pape/Danforth Branch renovation, 2006

2007

Woodside Square Branch reopens after relocation and expansion (April 30)

Woodside Square Branch, 2007

2008

S.Walter Stewart, Jane/Dundas, and Dufferin/St.Clair branches reopen after major renovations. Four branches reopen after major renovations, relocations and/or expansions: Jane/Dundas (Feb 4), Cliffcrest (Apr 3), S. Walter Stewart (May 28), Dufferin/St.Clair (Oct 28). Cedarbrae Branch closes for a major renovation (Oct 5). Kennedy/Eglinton Branch closes for a major renovation and expansion (Nov 22). Josephine Bryant, the first City Librarian of the amalgamated Toronto Public Library, announces her early retirement (Feb 21). Jane Pyper is appointed new City Librarian (Sep 2). Toronto Public Library publishes its third Strategic Plan, since City amalgamation, Toronto Public Library's Strategic Plan 2008-2001: Our Shared Stories.

Jane Pyper, TPL Chief Librarian, 2008

2009

Bloor/Gladstone Branch reopens after major renovations. Thorncliffe Park Branch reopens after a major renovation and expansion. Jane/Sheppard Branch closes for relocation (Jan 31) and reopens in new location (Apr 2). Kennedy/Eglinton Branch reopens after a major renovation & expansion (Jun 25). Bloor/Gladstone Branch reopens after a major renovation & expansion (Jul 23). Toronto Public Library Foundation launches a 5-year, $34 million revitalization of the Toronto Reference Library. The Bram and Bluma Appel Salon is opened in Toronto Reference Library (Sep 17) Annette Street Branch celebrates 100 years of service (Sep 12).

Jane Sheppard Rendering

2010

Public consultation begins for a new library branch, Scarborough Centre (Feb 17). Thorncliffe Branch reopens after a major renovation & expansion (Apr 13). Brentwood Branch closes for a major renovation & expansion (Sep 25). Riverdale Branch celebrates 100 years of service (Oct 2). Cedarbrae Branch reopens after a major renovation & expansion (Dec 6). 		Cedarbrae Library

Cedarbrae Branch