JUNK BOAT TRAVELS: Toronto Reference Library

30 July 2026

Toronto Reference Library - RECAP

July 2026 - Toronto ON

I wanted to do a post about one of my favourite buildings in the city, which happens to be a library!!

Wikipedia tells me:

The Toronto Reference Library is a public reference library in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the corner of Yonge Street and Asquith Avenue, within the Yorkville neighbourhood of downtown Toronto and is the largest and most visited branch of Toronto Public Library.

Established in 1909, the Toronto Reference Library initially operated from another building on College Street. In the late-1960s, management of the library was assumed by the Metropolitan Toronto Library Board. Believing the space in the original structure to be inadequate, Raymond Moriyama was tasked to find a new site, and was later commissioned by the board to design a new building for the site. The new building was opened to the public in 1977 as the Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library, and the library continued to operate under that name until 1998, when it reverted to its original name. The building underwent renovations and expansion from 2009 to 2014.

The initial design presented by Moriyama was similar in design to the current building, although the original designs had the southern and western façade of the structure clad in reflective glass that became transparent at night; with concrete used on its other sides. A direct access point that connected the library's main lobby to Bloor-Yonge subway station was planned although it was not incorporated in the final design. I wish it had.

Although the design was initially supported by the library board and the Metro Toronto government, the design faced opposition from the municipal government of Toronto;[4] with the overuse of glass in the midst of the 1970s energy crisis being questioned, concerns that the structure would be too imposing in contrast to the rest of the neighbourhood, and budgetary concerns resulted in the initial design being rejected in December 1973.[6] After several months of consultation with the local government, revised designs were approved in April 1974; which slightly reduced the size and height of the building, reduced its massing, and changed its cladding to brick.

The library is the largest public reference library in Canada, with an extensive collection of books, manuscripts, microfilm, and other items. Most items in its collection are designated for reference-use only; the public is unable to borrow these items for use outside the library. In addition to providing access to its collection, the library also hosts a number of public reading events, as well as provide technical access and services to the public.

In addition to its regular collection, the reference library also holds several special collections of the Toronto Public Library, many of which are held at the Marilyn & Charles Baillie Special Collections Centre on the building's fifth level, or the TD Gallery on the building's first level. Over 2 million items are stored in the Marilyn & Charles Bailie Special Collections Centre. The Baldwin Collection of Canadiana is a special collection of primary sources and materials on the history of pre-Confederation Canada. The collection was named after Robert Baldwin, leader of the Reform movement in Upper Canada during the mid-19th century.

TD Gallery PREVIOUS EXHIBITS

Toys Alive!

Loops, Swoops and Curlicues

Seasons

Old Toronto Postcards

Lucy Maud Montgomery Anne of Green Gables

Eat In or Dine Out

Osbournes Collection of Early Children's Books

Post No Bills

Art of the Book

Plum Blossom from the Bitter Cold

Alter Ego - Comics and Canadian Identity

Changing Faces of Toronto

Rare book collections held at the library include the Arthur Conan Doyle collection. The items are held in a Victorian-esque room modelled after the study at 221B Baker Street, the home of Doyle's fictional character Sherlock Holmes. The basis of the collection was formed in 1969, after TPL purchased approximately 500 books from the estate of Toronto-based Arthur Vincent Baillie, 200 of which were books about Holmes. The collection has since expanded to include thousands of original manuscripts, photographs of Doyle, as well as translations of his works. The collection had since been supplemented by over 1,500 items from Harold Mortlake based in London, over 200 editions from American collector Nathan L. Bengis, and a number of items from Toronto based S. Tepper Bigelow.