Toronto Reference Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Toronto Reference Library |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Entrance of the Toronto Reference Library from Yonge Street and Asquith Avenue in 2023 | |
| Country | Canada |
| Type | Public reference library |
| Established | 8 September 1909 |
| Location | 789 Yonge Street Toronto, Ontario M4W 2G8 |
| Coordinates | 43°40′18″N 79°23′12″W / 43.671752°N 79.386697°W |
| Branch of | Toronto Public Library |
| Access and use | |
| Circulation | 375,830 (2018) |
| Other information | |
| Director | Gillian Byrne (manager) |
The Toronto Reference Library is a huge public library in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It's on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto's Yorkville area. This library is the biggest and busiest branch of the Toronto Public Library (TPL).
The library first opened in 1909 in a different building on College Street. Later, in the 1960s, a new board took over. They thought the old building was too small. So, they asked architect Raymond Moriyama to design a brand new one. The new building opened in 1977. It was called the Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library for a while. In 1998, it went back to its original name. The building was updated and made bigger between 2009 and 2014.
This library is the largest public reference library in Canada. It has a huge collection of books, old papers, and other items. Most of these items are for "reference-use" only. This means you can't borrow them to take home. But the library also has public events, and offers computers and other services.
Contents
Library History
The very first reference library in Toronto was the York Mechanics' Institute. It opened to the public in 1830. These "Mechanics' Institutes" were like early public libraries. They helped lead to the creation of the Toronto Public Library (TPL). TPL started in 1884.
On September 8, 1909, the Toronto Reference Library officially opened. It was in a building on College and St. George streets. This building was designed in a fancy style called Beaux-Arts. It was the largest library in Ontario funded by Andrew Carnegie. When it first opened, the library had almost 98,000 books!
A New Building for the Library
By 1968, the library board decided they needed a new building. The old one was getting too crowded. Also, they felt it was not in the best spot for the whole city. In 1971, Raymond Moriyama was asked to find a new location. He chose a spot on Asquith Avenue and Yonge Street. This was a good choice because it was close to the Bloor–Yonge station subway.
Moriyama's first design for the new building was very modern. It had lots of reflective glass. But the city government had some concerns. They worried about using too much glass during an energy crisis. They also thought the building might look too big for the neighborhood. So, the first design was changed. The new plans were approved in 1974. The building was made a bit smaller and used brick instead of so much glass.
Construction started in 1974. The new library building opened on November 2, 1977. The old library building on College Street closed. Today, it's part of the University of Toronto.
In 1999, the Toronto Public Library launched its Virtual Reference Library. This allowed people to search the library's collection online.
Updates in the 21st Century
From 2009 to 2014, the Toronto Reference Library building had a big renovation. It cost about $34 million. During this time, the library's inside was used to film parts of the movie Red. The renovations added new spaces like the Bram and Bluma Appel Salon. A new glass entrance was also built. These updates finished on September 19, 2014. The library became bigger and added new technology.
A store called the Toronto Comic Arts Festival Store (TCAF) opened inside the library in 2014. It became a long-term store called Page & Panel in 2015. However, it closed in 2022.
About the Building
The Toronto Reference Library building was designed by Raymond Moriyama Architects. It is a very large building, covering over 426,000 square feet. It has five main levels. The building is about 119 feet tall at its highest point.
The first level of the building is about 45 feet high. It was designed to match the height of nearby buildings. The other levels are set back from the street. This makes the building look like a pyramid shape. It helps the building not look too huge from the street. The building is mostly made of steel and concrete. It's covered with orange-red brick to match other buildings nearby. There are also glass sections facing Yonge Street.
The building was designed to save energy. It has a special heating and cooling system. This system uses heat from lights, visitors, and sunlight to control the temperature. The main open area inside has a skylight. This lets air move freely. There are also plants and water features inside. These were inspired by the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
.jpg)
The renovations from 2009 to 2014 added a new glass cube to the building. This cube holds a bigger lobby with a shop and a café. The design of this glass cube is similar to Moriyama's first idea from 1973. New social spaces were also added, like an event center.
What's Inside: The Collection
The Toronto Reference Library is Canada's largest public reference library. Most of its items are for use only inside the library. You can't take them home. However, the library does have a small number of books, DVDs, and music scores that you can borrow. In 2018, people borrowed over 375,000 items from the library.
.jpg)
The library's collection is organized by subject on different levels. It has over 80 kilometers (about 50 miles) of shelves! There are more than 1.6 million items on its open shelves. As of March 2016, the library also had about 15,000 vinyl records.
The library also holds several special collections. Many of these are in the Marilyn & Charles Baillie Special Collections Centre on the fifth floor. The Baldwin Collection of Canadiana is one of these. It has old documents and materials about Canada's history before it became a country.
One cool special collection is about Arthur Conan Doyle, the writer who created Sherlock Holmes. These items are kept in a room that looks like Sherlock Holmes's study at 221B Baker Street. The collection started in 1969 when the library bought about 500 books from a collector. It has grown to include thousands of original writings, photos of Doyle, and translations of his books.
How the Library Works
The Toronto Reference Library is the most visited branch of the Toronto Public Library. More than 1.5 million people visit it every year. Library members can use its collections, study rooms, computers, and seating areas. There are about 1,250 seats available.
The library also offers many cool technical services. As of June 2018, it had three 3D printers that TPL members could use. The library also has a printing press for making your own paperbacks. There's even a green screen room for photos and video recording. The library also hosts free reading events in its 575-seat theatre.
Filming Locations
The Toronto Reference Library has been used as a filming location for movies and music videos. These include the movie Red (2010), the music video for "Secrets" by the Weeknd, and the TV show The L.A. Complex.
See also
- Film Reference Library, another reference library in Toronto
- List of Toronto Public Library branches
