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Our Special Collections are divided between two locations.
The Special Collections, Genealogy and Maps Centre is housed in the Toronto Reference Library.
The Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books and the Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation and Fantasy are located at the Lillian H. Smith branch.
What You'll Find on the Page
 Special Collections, Genealogy and Maps Centre
Special Collections Centre - Hours and Location
Special Collections at Lillian H. Smith
Special Collections at Lillian H. Smith - Hours and Location
At the Toronto Reference Library
The Special Collections, Genealogy and Maps Centre provides access to the Toronto Reference Library's rare and specialized research collections. There are five separate collections with combined facilities and staff.
 The Art Room is a repository for rare and valuable materials from all subject areas. It holds:
- Major collections relating to theatre, music, dance and costume
- Canadian trade catalogues
- Private press books
- Fine printing including the John James Audubon double elephant folio of Birds of America
The Arthur Conan Doyle Collection is devoted to all Doyle's works. It contains:
- A wide range of materials, including manuscripts
- Many items about his most famous creation, Sherlock Holmes
The Baldwin Room houses primary source material about the history of Canada, including:
- Broadsides and printed ephemera
- Books, pamphlets, periodicals
- Manuscripts
- Historical pictures
- Newspapers
The Genealogy and Local History Collection provides genealogical source materials for Canada, Great Britain, Ireland and the United States. It includes an extensive collection of:
- Local histories
- Church histories
- City directories for all parts of Canada
The Map Collection includes:
- Contemporary maps, atlases and gazetteers for all parts of the world
- Historical maps and atlases for most regions
Hours and Location
The Special Collections, Genealogy and Maps Centre is at the Toronto Reference Library:
Fourth floor
789 Yonge Street
Toronto, Ontario
M4W 2G8
416 393-7062
You may use items from the Art Room, Baldwin Room and Arthur Conan Doyle Collection in the Special Collections Reading Room. You must provide identification and register at the inquiry desk.
The Special Collections Reading Room is open all hours the library is open.
You are welcome to use the Arthur Conan Doyle Room on the fifth floor, when it's open to the public:
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
At the Lillian H. Smith Branch
Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation and Fantasy, housed in the Lillian H. Smith branch, contains approximately 57,000 reference items of contemporary speculative literature, including science fiction, certain aspects of fantasy fiction, satire, surrealist, and other speculative, future-oriented and conceptually experimental work. The collection also has critical and bibliographic materials about science fiction and the associated areas of contemporary speculative writing. The Merril Collection serves both scholars and the general public.
Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books
encompasses the development of English Children's literature from the fourteenth century to 1910 - the end of the Edwardian era.
Hours and Location
Both these collections are available in the:
Lillian H. Smith branch
239 College Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5T 1R5
416-393-7746
Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
If you have any questions, please contact
Updated On: December 30, 2009
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