Sanderson

327 Bathurst Street,
Toronto, ON M5T 1J1

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	Closed

Wheelchair Accessible
Free Wifi

General Inquiries

To speak directly with staff at Sanderson Branch during branch hours, please call the number listed above.

For general questions about Toronto Public Library, your account, and quick reference help, email Answerline using the link below.

Email Answerline

Directions, TTC & Parking

View on map

Closest major intersection Bathurst Street and Dundas Street West. Located on southeast corner of Bathurst Street and Dundas Street West, across from Toronto Hospital (Western Division).

Public Transit

TTC streetcar #505 along Dundas Street westbound from St. Patrick subway station or westbound from Dundas subway station to Bathurst Street.
TTC streetcar #511 southbound from Bathurst subway station or northbound from Exhibition to Dundas Street West.

Parking

Limited street parking on Bathurst outside rush hours. Some paid commercial lots close by.

Featured Services

Youth Hub
Mon - Fri, 3:30 - 7:00 pm

Upcoming Programs

Featured Programs

Wed, Jul 06

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

DIY Beeswax Wraps

Learn how to make your own beeswax wraps! Eliminate plastic from your kitchen and keep your food fresh for longer! Perfect...

Thu, Jul 07

1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Wonder Workshop: Pollution Challenge

Do you ever think about where your water bottles, plastic bags, and other plastic items go when you throw them out? Have y...

Wed, Jul 13

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

DIY Colour Changing Tumblers

Make your own colour-changing tumbler at the Sanderson Youth Hub! Pour ice water/cold liquid into your customized tumbler...

Regular Programs

Tue, Jul 05

5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Video Gaming

Join us every day in the Sanderson Youth Hub from 5-7pm for video gaming! Play with friends or on your own, using our vari...

Fri, Jul 08

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Movie Fridays

Join us every Friday afternoon in the Sanderson Youth Hub for a feature film! Hang out with your friends and watch a fun m...

Sat, Jul 09

11:00 am - 11:30 am

Family Time

Stories, songs, rhymes and activities for children with their parents or caregivers. This is an in-person progr...

All Branch Programs and Events

Branch Features

General Features

Book Discussion Group: contact the branch for more information
Book Drop - After Hours
Express Checkout
Quiet Study Room
Seating for 110
Youth Hub

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

Collections

Adult Literacy Materials
Audiobooks on CD
Large Print Collection
Local History Collection

Language

Large collection in Chinese
Small collection in French-Children , Portuguese-Adult , Spanish-Adult , Vietnamese (DVDs only)

Meeting Rooms

History

Year	Details
1959	On 15 September, three weeks after fire destroyed the books in the Children’s Room at the Queen and Lisgar Branch, the Manning Boys and Girls Branch opened in a two-storey building at 90 Robinson Street (soon known as 79 Manning Avenue) provided by the Toronto Board of Education on the grounds of Charles G. Fraser School. The new branch replaced the children’s libraries at Queen and Lisgar Branch, St. Christopher House and Niagara Street and St. Mary’s schools. In 1960, its first full year of operation, Manning Boys and Girls Branch circulated more books than any children's library in the system.
1967	Construction begins on the Charles R. Sanderson Memorial Branch on Dundas Street West at the southeast corner of Bathurst Street. The site was made available by the City of Toronto through the downtown urban renewal project at Alexandra Park. Initially, the library was designed for Boys’ and Girls’ and Young People’s collections, but as the Toronto Public Library, Annual Report for 1967 noted, “the building can accommodate a second storey later, should it be necessary to expand the collection and carry on a full range of adult services.”
1968	Manning Boys and Girls Branch is closed. Charles R. Sanderson Memorial Branch is officially opened on 27 September at 725 Dundas Street West. Pentland, Baker & Polson Architects. Named to commemorate Charles R. Sanderson (1887-1956), Toronto Public Library’s chief librarian, 1937-56.
1973	In response to citizen requests, Sanderson and five other library branches are opened on Sundays.
1975	Toronto Public Library Board sets aside $400,000 for the construction of an addition to the branch (resolution, 14 April).
1977	Construction is underway for a renovation and expansion of the branch, which will be part of the new Scadding Court Community Centre, a joint project of the Toronto Board of Education, the City’s Department of Parks and Recreation and the TPL Board, whose share of the $2-million project is $402,000.
1979	The branch reopens early in the year, with a 3,800 square-foot addition for enlarged adult and multilingual collections. Casey and Dunker Architects. The entrance is moved to the Bathurst Street frontage, and the address is changed to 327 Bathurst Street.
1992	Closed for barrier-free access improvements on 17 February. Reopened 15 March. Niagara/Trinity Mini-Library opened in July and closed in 1998.
1999	Sunday opening discontinued, 25 April.
2007	New hours, 8 January. Hours open per week increased from 58 to 62.
2009	Closed January 10, 2009 for a six-week state of good repair renovation. Reopened 17 February.
2018	Sunday opening reinstated, 9 September. Branch celebrates its 50th anniversary, September. Sanderson Branch history panel (PDF).

Land Acknowledgement

Sanderson 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