Parkdale

1303 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M6K 1L6

Hours

Monday	9:00 am	to	8:30 pm
Tuesday	9:00 am	to	8:30 pm
Wednesday	9:00 am	to	8:30 pm
Thursday	9:00 am	to	8:30 pm
Friday	9:00 am	to	8:30 pm
Saturday	9:00 am	to	5:00 pm
Sunday	1:30 pm	to	5:00 pm

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Wheelchair Accessible
Free Wifi

Directions, TTC & Parking

View on map

Closest major intersection Queen Street West and Dufferin Street. Located on the south side of Queen Street West at Cowan Ave.

Public Transit

TTC Dufferin bus #29 southbound from Dufferin subway station to Queen Street, walk 5 minutes west to the library.
TTC streetcar #501 along Queen Street West to Brock Street.

Parking

Free

Featured Services

Upcoming Programs

Featured Programs

Wed, Feb 26

6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

LGBTQ+ Book Club: Holding Still for as Long as Possible

Join us the last Wednesday of the month for a discussion of Zoe Whittall's novel, Holding Still for as Long as Possible...

Fri, Mar 06

6:45 pm - 7:45 pm

Live in the Library: Waleed Abdulhamid

Parkdale's own Waleed Abdulhamid performs music that celebrates African History, while exploring a variety of instruments...

Mon, Mar 16

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Recycled Art

Bring your recycling and create art! For children ages 5-12. Drop in. No registration required....

Regular Programs

Sun, Feb 23

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Mini Makers

Junior builders aged 4-8 and their families are invited to join us every Sunday for fun, hands-on activities that explore...

Mon, Feb 24

1:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Parents-Bambins: Services de Développement de L'enfance

Le programme Parents-Bambins promeut le développement moteur, cognitif et social de votre enfant par le biais d'activités...

Mon, Feb 24

4:00 pm - 7:00 pm

West Neighbourhood House Youth Homework Help and Mentorship Support

Receive one-on-one support in important aspects of your academic life and career including homework and course tutoring, h...

All Branch Programs and Events

Branch Features

General Features

Book Drop - 24 Hours
Express Checkout
Individual Study Rooms
Light Therapy Lamp
Parkdale Community Information Centre
Piano/Practice Room
Seating for 120
Sun Life Financial Musical Instrument Lending Library

Equipment for persons with disabilities

Book stand
Computers with screen magnification software (Zoomtext) (2)
Large print keyboard
Large trackball mouse
Magnifier
Natural spectrum lamp
Page turner
Wheelchair accessible furniture

Technology

Collections

Adult Literacy Materials
Audiobooks on CD
Large Print Collection
Local History Collection
Rita Cox Black & Caribbean Heritage

Language

Large collection in Chinese-Adult (DVDs only)
Medium collection in French
Small collection in Hindi (DVDs only) , Polish , Tibetan - Adult , Vietnamese (DVDs only)

Meeting Rooms

For booking information call 416-397-5969.

Auditorium

3,610 sq. ft
Seats 160 lecture style. 52 classroom style. Fire Code Occupancy: 260.
Equipment:
- chairs
- screen (ceiling mounted)
- tables
- kitchen

Meeting Room A

650 sq. ft.
Seats 30 classroom style. Fire Code Occupancy: 70.
Equipment:
- chairs
- tables

Meeting Room B

239 sq. ft.
Seats 15 lecture style. Seats 15 classroom style. Fire Code Occupancy: 23.
Equipment:
- chairs
- tables

Meeting Room and auditorium are on the basement level. Elevator. Accessible washroom available.

History

Year	Details
1880	Parkdale Library Association and Mechanics' Institute established, November.
1881	Library opened, 1 November. Located in school-house of St. Mark's Church, Cowan Avenue, east side, south of Queen Street West.
1888	Relocated to Town of Parkdale's former council chamber and municipal offices, Queen Street West, south side, east of Cowan Avenue.
1889	Town of Parkdale annexed to Toronto, 23 March. Books and furniture of Parkdale Library Association and Mechanics' Institute transferred to TPL, 10 May.
1890	Relocated to Dundas Street Branch, opened 25 January. Rented premises, Dundas Street (now Ossington Avenue), west side, just north of Queen Street West.
1903	Carnegie Corporation of New York granted $350,000 to TPL for new central library and 3 branch library buildings. Toronto's Carnegie Libraries - Queen and Lisgar
1907	Site acquired Queen Street West, southeast corner Lisgar Street.
1909	Dundas Street Branch closed March 15. Queen and Lisgar Branch opened 30 April. Architect Robert McCallum, City Architect.
1962	Site acquired for Parkdale Branch, Queen Street West, southeast corner of Cowan Avenue.
1964	Queen and Lisgar Branch closed. Relocated to Parkdale Branch, opened 28 February. Resource branch for region, also housed Languages and Literature Centre. Gordon S. Adamson & Associates, Architects.
1970	Community Information Post opened.
1990	Learning Centre opened.
1993	Closed 21 June for carpet replacement. Reopened 5 July.
1998	Closed 7 December for retrofit. Bookmobile stop provided during closure.
1999	Reopened 26 June.
2007	New hours, 8 January. Hours open per week increased from 60.5 to 65.5.
2016	The Sun Life Financial Musical Instrument Lending Library opened in April. It is the first of its kind in the city, and also the first in public libraries across Canada.

Parkdale is on Indigenous land. This is the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee (ho-den-oh-sho-nee) Confederacy (aka. the Six Nations Confederacy), the Wendat, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Toronto Public Library gratefully acknowledges these Indigenous nations for their guardianship of this land. We'd also like to remind and reaffirm, as Torontonians and Canadians, our accountability to these Indigenous nations, and to all Indigenous peoples and communities living in Toronto.

This land is also part of the Dish with One Spoon territory, a treaty between the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (aka. The Six Nations Confederacy), the Anishinaabek (Ah-nish-nah-bek) and allied nations, to peaceably share and care for this land, its waters, and all of the biodiversity in the Great Lakes region. All those who come to live and work here are responsible for honouring this treaty in the spirit of peace, friendship, and respect. About Land Acknowledgement Statements