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.

The Exhibit Holmes Room

Sherlock Holmes Lane

Sherlock Holmes Murals

There is a lovely coffee shop and there used to be a book store/gift shop. 

OTHER TORONTO LIBRARIES

Beaches Branch

Lillian Smith Branch  ALSO mentioned here 

Parkdale Branch

Runnymede Branch

Yorkville Libraries

OTHER BIBLIOPHILE PLACES

Toronto Book Garden

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library - Robarts Library University of Toronto and Culinary Culture Display

Royal York Library Bar

OUT OF TOWN

Meaford Library

Welland Library

Elora Library

31 Days in Canada

  In honour of CANADA DAY  I plan to post a daily image of Canada and a link to a random Canadian location we have visited.

KLONDIKE GOLD RUSH VIDEO

Canada’s gold rushes—most notably the 1896–1899 Klondike Gold Rush in the Yukon and the 1858 Fraser Canyon Rush in British Columbia—transformed the nation’s west. They spurred mass migration, reshaped Indigenous territories, catalyzed the creation of new territories and railways, and brought global attention to Canada’s rugged frontier.

The Klondike Gold Rush (1896–1899): Sparked by a gold discovery on August 16, 1896, at Rabbit Creek (renamed Bonanza Creek) near the Klondike River. When news of the gold arrived in Seattle and San Francisco a year later, it triggered a stampede of approximately 100,000 prospectors. The influx led to the rapid establishment of Dawson City and the formal creation of the Yukon Territory in 1898.

Whitehorse to Dawson City - random post

Gold Rush and Panning for Gold

McBride Museum Whitehorse Yukon

Morning Reflections

 

Morning Reflections

 

31 Days in Canada

 In honour of CANADA DAY  I plan to post a daily image of Canada and a link to a random Canadian location we have visited.

Stratford ON - random post

Stratford, Ontario is famous for its world-class Stratford Festival, its namesake Avon River, and as the hometown of pop superstar Justin Bieber. Named after Shakespeare's birthplace in England, this scenic hub blends Victorian charm with rich cultural history.

History and Geography

Founded in 1832 and originally nicknamed "Little Thames" before being renamed Stratford.

Sits along the Avon River, perfectly mirroring its English counterpart, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Served as a major railway repair hub for the Grand Trunk and Canadian National Railways for nearly 80 years.

Arts and Culture

The Stratford Festival was launched in 1953 in a giant canvas tent and now operates out of four permanent stages.

Male actors in the theater productions often wear facial hair and sideburns meticulously hand-crafted from real yak hair.

The city features unique self-guided culinary tours like the famous Stratford Chocolate Trail.

Local Landmarks

The Shakespearean Gardens feature plants, herbs, and trees exclusively named after works by William Shakespeare.

Home to a famous flock of over two dozen white mute swans that are ceremoniously released onto the Avon River every spring

Signs

  Joining Tom at Signs2

June 2026 - Toronto ON

YES, PLEASE!

 VIDEO

31 Days in Canada

  In honour of CANADA DAY  I plan to post a daily image of Canada and a link to a random Canadian location we have visited.

Ottawa and Calgary

       Famous Five  - random post

Women in Aviation

Diana Carney

This Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque can be found on the outside wall, near the northwestern corner of Hart House, off Tower Road on the University of Toronto grounds. Here's what it says:

Graham was instrumental in establishing physiotherapy in Canada. Trained in massage and remedial gymnastics, she rehabilitated soldiers wounded in the First World War and taught at the Military School of Orthopaedic Surgery and Physiotherapy, here at Hart House. In 1929, she helped create a diploma program at the University of Toronto. Her advocacy ensured that accredited physiotherapists served as officers in the military and at convalescent hospitals during the Second World War. The Enid Graham Memorial Lecture pays tribute to this founding member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association.

Laura Secord

Lea Vivot

Tuesday Treasures

  Tom hosts Tuesday's Treasures.

June 2026 - Toronto ON

Some more photos from our visit to the Old Post Office Museum last week.

So it seems we have a Toronto Letter Writers' Society. Top right outlines the dates and times of meetings.

Their website. I love they have a "Go Analog This Year" section.

The Art of Letter Writing

Temporary Exhibit

Love is in the Mail

Opening: April 1, 2026

Closing: October 1, 2026

Designed and curated by the students of the University of Toronto's Master of Museum Studies Capstone Project, the exhibit aims to share the history of love through letters in 19th century Toronto. With detailed examples of historic love letters from Torontonian residents, the exhibit will explain the social customs of the time, courting regulations, and how even with the passage of time, we still long to transmit emotion through communication.

My Dad worked out west when we first came to Canada, and he would write love letters to my Mom, but he always included kisses for me and my sister!!

Morning Reflections

 

Monday Mural

  I'm linking up at Monday Mural 

May 2026 - Toronto ON 

"Kisses" floral mural painted by street artist Bacon on the side of the Piano Piano restaurant located on Colborne Street in Toronto.

There is another Piano Piano on Harbord St. which also has a Bacon mural.

31 Days in Canada

 In honour of CANADA DAY  I plan to post a daily image of Canada and a link to a random Canadian location we have visited.

POW WOW - random post