William Pope portrait (at around 80 years old) by W. E. Cantelon William Pope (1811-1902) was born in Kent, England. He journeyed to North America in 1834, "perhaps by the news of abundant game and no hunting restrictions." Hunting was not his only interest — he also had an interest in arts and received a […]
Happy New Year and please join us throughout 2018 for more programs, films, classes and special events. All free at the Toronto Reference Library. Click on each image to enlarge or Download The January 2018 @ TRL as a pdf. For a full list of programs to browse or search, visit our Programs, Classes and […]
In her December 2017 report, City Librarian Vickery Bowles noted, “Toronto Reference Library celebrated its 40th anniversary with a series of programs and blog posts featuring collections and highlighting the history and architecture of the building. The activities and accompanying social media generated lively discussions about what TRL has meant to some of our customers.” […]
A long, long time ago, on May 25, 1983, the first Star Wars trilogy ended. But, the adventures of Princess Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo continued in the Star Wars Expanded Universe (EU). The Star Wars EU consists of hundreds of stories that expand on the original trilogy. It includes novels, comic books […]
The children's table in the TD Gallery at the Toronto Reference Library. The card reads "What does your Canada look like? Draw a picture here." One of Toronto's hidden gems is the TD Gallery at the Toronto Reference Library. The gallery's current exhibit is I Am Canada: Celebrating Canadian Picture Book Art. On display is original […]
Free programs, free movies, free exhibits. All at the Toronto Reference Library. Click on each image to enlarge or Download The December 2017 @ TRL as a pdf. For a full list of programs to browse or search, visit our Programs, Classes and Exhibits page.
You never know what you might find hidden in the stacks at the Toronto Reference Library. For example, there is a bay of books by the man who has been called Canada’s most prolific author (New Brunswick Consortium of Professional Writers), as well as the fastest fiction writer who ever lived (Alden Nowlan); that author […]
This month we are celebrating the 40th anniversary of Toronto Public Library’s largest branch, Toronto Reference Library (TRL). Over the past 40 years, TRL has undergone some drastic changes; from its relocation to Yonge and Bloor in 1977, to a megacity amalgamation 20 years later, to a major revitalization project in 2014. But throughout these […]
The Opening Ceremonies on November 2, 1977 While recently digging through an old archive of library reports, I discovered an incisive quotation that describes what the Toronto Reference Library is all about. In responding to a survey question in 1996, "Have we made a difference?" John Robert Colombo wrote: Nowhere in Metropolitan Toronto will one […]
Recapture that feeling at the annual Book and DVD Sale, November 23-25, 2017, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, South Chapter. Come buy gently used, very good condition gift books, cook books, children's books or previously viewed DVDs and DVD sets, CDs and LPs. It's a cash only sale (most books are $1) and […]