Bendale

General Features

• Book Drop - 24 Hours
• Express Checkout
• Free Parking
• Reading Garden
• Seating for 15

Equipment for persons with disabilities

• Book stand
• Computer with screen magnification software (Zoomtext)
• Large print keyboard
• Large trackball mouse
• Magnifier
• Natural spectrum lamp
• Page turner
• Wheelchair accessible furniture

Technology

• Internet/Microsoft Office workstations (8)
• Wireless (Wi-Fi)

Collections

• Audiobooks on CD
• Large Print Collection

Language

• Small collection in Chinese, Hindi-Adult (DVDs only), Tagalog-Adult (DVDs only), Tamil

Year	Details
1834	Scarborough Subscription Library is organized at a public meeting at St. Andrew's Church, on today's St. Andrews Road. The nucleus of the collection came from the private library of David and Mary Thomson, Scarborough's first European residents, who settled there in 1799. James A. Thomson, David's nephew, was the Society's first librarian and its president, 1860-78. His Springfield Farm House is at 146 St. Andrews Road. In 1846, the library was moved to a small frame building (demolished) on the north side of St. Andrews Road, opposite St. Andrews church cemetery.
1878	Scarborough Mechanics' Institute and Association Library is incorporated on November 20 (registered on December 9), replacing the Scarborough Subscription Library.
1895	Becomes the Scarboro Public Library (not free), when the Ontario Public Library Act replaces mechanics' institutes with public libraries (free and not free).
1896	A library is constructed at today's 117 St. Andrews Road, just east of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, as part of Scarborough Township's centennial celebrations. Located on land leased from the church, the "commodious structure 26 x 36 feet" was first used as a museum during anniversary festivities held on June 17 and 18. Shortly after, it was faced with brick and opened as the Scarboro' Centennial Memorial Library. A heritage plaque was dedicated to the building on June 18, 1978 and it was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act on February 11, 1985.
1955	Taken over by the newly-formed Public Library Board of the Township of Scarborough (established by Bylaw 6509 passed by Scarborough Council on August 18, 1955). It is renamed St. Andrew's Branch and officially opens on October 1 as one of three branches in the new system (the others being at Highland Creek and Agincourt).
1961	St. Andrew's Branch is closed. Bendale Branch opens in the current location, 11 May. Mandel Sprachman Architect.
1979	Retrofitted. Mandel Sprachman Architect.
1994	Weekly service hours reduced from 47 to 40, beginning 5 July.
1999	Renovated. Closed 3 May - 4 October. Stephen Teeple Architect.
2007	New open hours, 8 January. Number of open hours per week unchanged.
2010	Hours expanded temporarily to 65.5 weekly, plus Sundays, during Cedarbrae's closure/renovation. Hours returned to 40 hours weekly when Cedarbrae reopened, 6 December.