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 Canada. On display now until July 30 […]
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 about their own story and […]
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 reasons for coming, the journey, […]
This weekend will be your last chance to visit our free Vice & Virtue exhibit on display at the Toronto Reference Library's TD Gallery. The exhibit runs until April 30, 2017. Vice & Virtue examines a period of moral reform in "Toronto the Good" as it faced rapid growth and industrialization at the turn-of-the-century. The exhibit explores changing […]
October is Islamic History Month! This year we celebrate Islamic History Month in a very timely manner by inviting speaker Dr. Shafique Virani. To be certain, the need for the kind of dialogue that Dr. Virani brings has never been greater. Dr. Virani (Ph.D., Harvard University), distinguished Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Toronto, […]
Are you planning a trip, or just dreaming of one? The Humanities and Social Sciences Department, on the 2nd Floor of the Toronto Reference Library, maintains a variety of current and historical travel magazines that you might find of interest. Many of these magazine's initial issues of 2016 are devoted to the best places to […]
Imagine my surprise. I had just finished creating a 'word cloud' of some of my favourite French philosophers using a free website called Wordle (see image above). I wanted to accompany the image with a post paying homage to the liberty of French ideas – spurred by the recent tragic terrorist attacks in Paris. Then […]
You step into the Atrium of the Toronto Reference Library, you look up marveling at all the space, the levels, the 10 story plus sky-lit ceiling, and then you ask yourself: "how am I suppose to find anything in here?" Locating staff and then telling them that you need assistance is ideal, but consulting wayfinder […]
Today's post is by Max, a librarian who delights in uncovering forgotten gems in our collections. Enjoy! When a books still stays in the mind more than 10 years after you read it, it is worth mentioning. Canada has more good science fiction writers than you might think and one is Robert Charles Wilson who lives in […]
Historical Maps From Around the World: 1500s to 1950s Are you fascinated by maps? Is cartography your passion? And would you like to view and find out more about the maps held in the collections of the Toronto Reference Library? This is a unique opportunity to experience some treasures. The Special Collections Department, along […]