Toronto Reference Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Toronto Reference Library |
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| 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 big public library in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. You can find it at Yonge Street and Asquith Avenue in downtown Toronto's Yorkville area. It's the biggest and busiest branch of the Toronto Public Library (TPL).
It first opened in 1909 in a different building on College Street. In the late 1960s, a group called the Metropolitan Toronto Library Board took over. They thought the old building was too small. So, they asked architect Raymond Moriyama to find a new spot and design a new library.
The new building opened in 1977. It was called the Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library until 1998. Then, 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 take them out of the library. The library also holds many public reading events. Plus, it offers computers and other tech services for everyone.
Contents
Library History
The first reference library in Toronto was the York Mechanics' Institute. It opened in 1830. These "Mechanics' Institutes" were like early public libraries. They helped lead to the creation of the Toronto Public Library (TPL) in 1884. TPL took over many of these institutes, turning them into public libraries.
On September 8, 1909, the TPL officially opened the Toronto Reference Library. It was in a building on College and St. George streets. This building was designed in the Beaux-Arts style. It was the largest library in Ontario built with money from Andrew Carnegie. When it first opened, the library had almost 98,000 books. A TPL branch with books you could borrow opened in the basement in 1930.
A New Building for the Library
In 1967, the Metropolitan Toronto Library Board was created. Its goal was to combine the resources of libraries across Metro Toronto. By 1968, the board decided to build a new home for the Toronto Reference Library. The old building was getting too crowded. Also, they felt it was too far west for the whole metropolitan area.
In 1971, Raymond Moriyama was asked to find a new location. The board wanted it between St. Clair Avenue and Queen Street. It also needed to be near a Toronto subway station. Moriyama chose a spot at Asquith and Yonge Street. This was because it was close to Bloor–Yonge station. In 1972, the board bought the land for $7 million. They also set aside $23 million to build the new library.
Moriyama's first design looked a lot like the building today. But it had reflective glass on some sides that would become clear at night. The city government didn't like this plan. They worried about using too much glass during the 1970s energy crisis. They also thought the building would look too big for the neighborhood. After some changes, a new design was approved in 1974. It made the building a bit smaller and changed the outside to brick.
Construction started in 1974. The new library opened to the public on November 2, 1977. The old library building is now part of the University of Toronto's Koffler Student Centre.
In 1997, Metropolitan Toronto joined with other areas to form the new City of Toronto. The library board also joined the new Toronto Public Library system. In 1999, TPL launched an online catalog called the Virtual Reference Library.
Updates in the 21st Century
From 2009 to 2014, the Toronto Reference Library building had a $34 million renovation. The inside of the library was even used to film parts of the movie Red in 2010. The updates added the Bram and Bluma Appel Salon, a new glass entrance, and more space. They also brought in new technology and created event areas. The renovations finished on September 19, 2014.
A comic book store called the Toronto Comic Arts Festival Store (TCAF) opened in the library in 2014. It became a long-term store called Page & Panel in 2015, but it closed in 2022.
About the Library Building
The building was designed by Raymond Moriyama Architects in the 1970s. It is the largest TPL branch by size, covering about 426,535 square feet (39,626 square metres). The building is about 119 feet (36 metres) tall. The first floor is about 255 by 255 feet (78 by 78 metres).
The first floor of the building is about 45 feet (14 metres) high. It matches the height of nearby buildings. The other floors are set back from the street, making the building look like a pyramid. This design makes the building seem less massive. The library is mostly made of steel and concrete. It's covered with orange-red brick to match other buildings in the area. There are also glass parts facing Yonge Street. The entrance was designed to feel welcoming from the sidewalk.
The building uses smart ways to save energy. Its heating and cooling system reuses heat from lights, people, and sunlight. The large, curved central area has a skylight. This helps air move freely. You'll also see plants and water features inside. These were inspired by the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
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The updates from 2009 to 2014 added a clear glass cube to the building. This cube holds a bigger lobby with a shop and a café. The design of this glass cube reminds people of Moriyama's first idea for the building. New social spaces were also added, like an event center. These updates were led by Moriyama & Teshima Architects, the company that followed Raymond Moriyama Architects.
What's in the Collection?
The Toronto Reference Library is the biggest public reference library in Canada. Since it's a reference library, most items can't be taken home. However, it does have some books, DVDs, and music that TPL members can borrow. In 2018, over 375,000 items were borrowed from the library.
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Items are organized by topic on different floors. The library has over 80 kilometers (50 miles) of shelves. It holds more than 1.6 million items on its open shelves. As of March 2016, the library also had about 15,000 vinyl records.
Besides its regular collection, the library has several special collections. Many are kept in the Marilyn & Charles Baillie Special Collections Centre on the fifth floor. The TD Gallery on the first floor also holds special items. Over 2 million items are stored in the Baillie Special Collections Centre. One special collection is the Baldwin Collection of Canadiana. It has old documents and materials about Canada's history before it became a country. This collection is named after Robert Baldwin, a leader in Upper Canada in the mid-1800s.
The library also has rare book collections. This includes a collection about Arthur Conan Doyle, who wrote the Sherlock Holmes stories. These items are kept in a room that looks like Sherlock Holmes' 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 papers, 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. It gets over 1.5 million visitors each year. TPL members can use its collections, study rooms, computers, and about 1,250 seats.
The library also offers many tech services. As of June 2018, it had three 3D printers for TPL members to use. It also has a printing press for making your own paperbacks. There's even a green screen room for photos and videos. The library also hosts free reading events in its 575-seat theater.
Filming Locations
The Toronto Reference Library has been used as a filming location for movies and music videos. Some examples include the movie Red, The Weeknd's music video "Secrets", and the TV show The L.A. Complex.
See also
- Film Reference Library, another reference library in Toronto
- List of Toronto Public Library branches
