This temporary page replicates our popular list of city directories available online. We're working to restore the original page on Toronto Public Library's website, currently unavailable due to a cybersecurity attack. All online city directories remain fully available. The links below go to pages where you can download or view directories from 1833 to 2001 […]
Looking for Toronto-themed backgrounds for your phone? Here are 20 unique ones of old Toronto — from 1870 to 1950. There's a bit of history under each wallpaper, too. We made them from our public domain photos, paintings, postcards and maps. The actual items are held in our Baldwin Collection of Canadiana, one of the […]
For Black History Month I would like to share some titles about our province's richly diverse past. Please see our Black history and Culture page for other reading lists and programs and find out more about our Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection. I've Got a Home in Glory Land: A Lost Tale of the Underground Railroad […]
As the summer heats up, Ontarians cool down in the water! To find out where swimmers of the past made waves in the province, I turned to Digital Archive Ontario. It has over 100,000 digitized photos, maps, postcards and other items related to Ontario's past. Photo from our Toronto Star Photograph Archive, 1972. Portion of […]
On May 28, Canada and the world learned of the heartbreaking news of the 215 children buried in an unmarked mass grave at Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia. Toronto Public Library grieves this tragic loss alongside our friends and colleagues in Indigenous communities across Canada. We reaffirm the need for all Canadians to […]
On May 28, we learned of 215 children buried in an unmarked mass grave at the site of Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia. News quickly spread across the nation and the world. Indigenous communities across Canada mourn for the children who were found and can finally come home. This is another sign that […]
Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong was a highly influential jazz artist who revolutionized jazz trumpet and coronet playing, solo improvisation and scat singing. July 6th of this year marks the 50th anniversary of his passing. A year after his death, Armstrong was honoured with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, in addition to the Grammy he won for […]
May is Vision Health Month. This is chance to think about your vision health and learn how to reduce the risk of developing series eye conditions. It is also a great time to find out about resources and supports for people living with vision loss. Common Serious Eye Conditions Did you know more than 2 […]
May 20, 2021 is the tenth annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). This is a great day to think about digital inclusion. Approximately 1 billion people worldwide have disabilities. Despite the numbers, web designers don't always consider their needs. Removing barriers to technology enables people. As Apple CEO Tim Cook says, accessibility democratizes technology. Digital […]
On May 17, 1990, the World Health Organization decided to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder. In 2004, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (sometimes abbreviated as IDAHOT) was established as May 17, every year, in recognition of this historic date. The goal of IDAHOT is to draw attention to the discrimination still […]