Did you know that Toronto Public Library has collections of ephemera — things like posters, flyers, brochures? These items offer fascinating glimpses into Toronto’s past. Here are just a few that capture community events, rallies, performances and spaces important to the city’s LGBTQ2S+ history. Clicking or tapping on each of... Continue reading

As the lockdown continues, I find myself fantasizing about shopping. Not online shopping, but leisurely strolling down a busy city street with a friend, popping into small shops along the way. So I decided to do some window shopping in our digital collections. TPL's Digital Archive is our database of... Continue reading

Happy 50th birthday to TPL's fantastical Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation & Fantasy! Originally called the Spaced Out Library, it was founded in 1970 with the donation of 5,000 books from science fiction writer and editor Judith Merril. The Merril Collection has become a beloved part of the speculative... Continue reading

Did you know Toronto Public Library has a huge collection of digitized books and ephemera, including commercial catalogues and greeting cards? You'll find 170,000+ of these rare and historical items on our Digital Archive — no library card needed. It is an incredible resource for artists, designers and DIYers looking... Continue reading

In 1970, science-fiction author and editor Judith Merril donated 5,000 books to Toronto Public Library to found the “Spaced Out Library”. 50 years later, the collection — now known as the Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation & Fantasy — has over 80,000 items and is celebrated as one of... Continue reading

UPDATE (August 16, 2021): It is with great sadness that I share the news that Lorna Toolis passed away on August 11, 2021. She was the Collection Head of the Merril Collection for 30 years and the impact she had on the Speculative Fiction community in Canada was profound. She... Continue reading

Children's book lovers of all ages take note! Our new exhibit, I Am Canada: Celebrating Canadian Picture Book Art, opens this Saturday, November 11 in the TD Gallery at the Toronto Reference Library. As always, admission is free and the gallery is open to the public during regular library hours.... Continue reading

You don't have to be a detective to deduce that our exhibit, Pop Sherlock, is ending soon! You have until Sunday, October 22 to see it at the Toronto Reference Library's TD Gallery. Admission is always free and the exhibit is open to the public during regular library hours. The... Continue reading

With the Mid-Autumn festival fast approaching, peo... Continue reading

With the Toronto International Film Festival in full swing -- and with BBC's Sherlock aka Benedict Cumberbatch in town -- it seems only appropriate to take a look back at how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's sleuth, Sherlock Holmes, became one of the most iconic and most often adapted fictional character... Continue reading

Our new exhibit, Pop Sherlock, opens this Saturday, August 19 in the TD Gallery at the Toronto Reference Library. As always, admission is free and the gallery is open to the public during regular library hours. It runs until October 22, 2017. A deerstalker hat, a pipe and a magnifying... Continue reading

Destination Canada, our free exhibit exploring stories of migration and belonging, is ending soon! You have until Sunday, July 30 to see it at the Toronto Reference Library's TD Gallery. Admission is free and you can visit anytime during regular library hours. Our last guided tour of the exhibit is... Continue reading

Manuscripts are handwritten documents that record the public and private lives and stories of individuals, families and institutions. These first-hand accounts include letters, diaries, account books, maps, scrapbooks and other unpublished documents. They are written in ink, pencil, some are typewritten and some include hand-drawn diagrams and depictions. Among the... Continue reading

World Refugee Day is marked each year on June 20. This day encourages us to focus on the causes that displace people all over the world, to reflect on Canada's role in helping those seeking refuge, and to celebrate the contributions that refugees have made and continue to make to... Continue reading

Have you had a chance to visit our current exhibit, Destination Canada, on display in the Toronto Reference Library's TD Gallery? The exhibit explores personal experiences of migration, arrival and finding a place of belonging from early settlement to present day. We hope that the exhibit encourages visitors to think... Continue reading

Crowds outside Canadian Immigration Office in London, England, 1956. Photo by Rosemary Gilliat. Canada. Dept. of Manpower and Immigration / Library and Archives Canada / PA-181010 Opening this Saturday, May 20, our new exhibit Destination Canada explores personal stories and individual circumstances that have shaped newcomer experiences over time: the... Continue reading