| 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). |
