Toronto Reference Library Blog

Renovation Update - March 21, 2013

This is the latest construction photo of the rotunda of the Marilyn & Charles Baillie Special Collections Centre.  The blue area is the titanium installation still protected by film - imagine the blue film peeled away and visualize the titanium chrome in its place.  It's going to be quite stunning!

 

To the left, you see the stairs to the new mezzanine area.  Again, replace the particle boards in your mind's eye with glass to get a sense of the dramatic sweep of the stairs. 

 

 

 

And finally, below, inside the rotunda, a view of the mezzanine area - just picture the treasures from special collections spread out in front of you behind the raillings.  It's exciting!  The Marilyn & Charles Baillie Special Collections Centre is finally taking shape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Renovation and Service Update - May 3, 2013

Due to re-carpeting on the 5th floor, parts of the Arts collection may not be accessible.  Please ask staff for assistance or call the information desk at 416-393-7157.

Glazing is in!  You can see the painters already at work inside the rotunda of the Marilyn & Charlies Baillie Special Collections Centre.  

Construction work is also ongoing in the rest of the building.  Below you see the study pods in place on the 3rd floor and work is beginning on the Learning Theatre located in the former "pit" area in front of the elevators (in the background here).

There will continue to be some service disruptions due to the construction:

For the week of April 29:

Due to re-carpeting on the 5th floor, parts of the Arts collection may not be accessible.  Please ask staff for assistance or call the information desk at 416-393-7157. 

The Kurzweill 1000 is not operational in the Adaptive Technology Centre.

The public washrooms on the 5th floor are closed.  There is limited study space on the 5th floor due to construction. 

The Arthur Conan Doyle Room on the 5^th floor is temporarily closed. However, the collection is still accessible in the Baldwin Room in Special Collections on the 4^th floor. 

The 2nd Fl. Renovations are Near Completion

Many exciting things are happening in the Humanities and Social Sciences Department!

These photos show some of the developments:

Staff at the new Information Desk . . . we moved just yesterday.

 

Nicholas, with friends, the very first visitors to the new "Meet Up" area.

 

 
Two more views of the "Meet Up" (click on images to enlarge).

 
Most of the Local History and Genealogical Materials from Special Collections have been moved close by.

Most of the map collection from Special Collections is now available close by.

 

The history books that were on the 3rd Fl, have now been moved down to the 2nd Fl.

 

The view beyond the "Meet Up"

And last, but not least, new washrooms.

For a listing of subjects covered in the Humanities and Social Sciences Department, see Katherine's earlier post "What's on the 2nd floor anyway?".

Hope to see you soon . . . perhaps you'll want to drop by and see the "New Books" display:

Toronto Reference Library – the Moriyama Experience

Father and son architects, Raymond and Ajon Moriyama, were together at the Toronto Reference Library on September 4 as part of a Royal Ontario Museum architectural tour. They talked about their experiences designing and revitalizing the library.

Raymond Moriyama described the library as one of his most challenging projects when he designed it in 1973.  They had to look at 43 sites before they found this central location near Yonge and Bloor.  The original design of the library was a glass box – he was ahead of his time. 

Rendering from original proposal - Moriyama & Teshima Architects

Raymond spent a lot of energy trying to convince City Council to accept the design but it was rejected and the library was redesigned with its red brick exterior.   Read the story in Unbuilt Toronto 2 by Mark Osbaldeston.   

Ajon Moriyama referred to the opening of the Toronto Reference Library in 1977 as a “magical” moment for him as a 10 year old who saw his father on the stage talking about the library atrium as an empty cup, a container to be filled with knowledge.  It made him decide to be an architect.

Twenty-two years later, in 1999, Ajon started the redesign of the library to create a more engaging space, with the flexibility to accommodate future technology and enabling the library to keep up with the changing needs of its users.  Renovations have been ongoing since 2001 with the addition of the Digital Design Studio, the Information Commons, the Toronto Star Newspaper Room, the Computer Terrace, the Atrium Stage, the Bram and Bluma Appel Salon, culminating last year with the new Entrance Cube, inspired by the original design and creating a welcoming street presence for the library.  The revamped TD Gallery, the expanded Browsery and a new Café, Balzac's, also opened this year.

The Humanities and Social Sciences Department, or... what's on the 2nd floor anyway?

More than renovations are happening at the Toronto Reference Library--books, magazines and whole departments are moving and changing.  In May 2012, the new Humanities and Social Sciences Department (or HSS, or Aitch Es Es) was formed on the second floor.

So what will you find there?

Religion, Myth, Philosophy      

 

 

 

Psychology, Sociology, Self Help    

 

 

 

Economics, Politics, Warfare

 

 

 

Law, Education, Parenting    

 

 

 

True Crime, Poverty, Social Problems
 
 

 

 

Urban Studies, City Planning, Toronto      Collection

 

 

 

History, Geography, Travel  

 

 

 

Sports, Games, Recreation

 

 

  

Customs, Folklore, Paranormal

 

 

 

Coming in late summer 2012

Genealogy, Local History, Maps

 

 

 

(Some images courtesy freedigitalphotos.net; Tourism Toronto)

New Gallery Opens Today: Bringing in the New with Respect for the Past

Toronto Public Library is thrilled to reopen the newly expanded TD Gallery, a vital exhibition space, located on the main floor of the Toronto Reference Library. Renovated as part of a five-year, $34 million revitalization of the Toronto Reference Library, the TD Gallery opens today, Saturday June 16th, with the exhibition, A Passion for History: The Legacy of James Bain.

The premiere exhibition features maps, prints, and books personally collected by James Bain, Toronto Public Library's first Chief Librarian (1883-1908).

As a collector in his own right, James Bain amassed a rich inventory of Canadiana, which has been donated by his family to the Library, where his legacy is preserved in the Special Collections of the Toronto Reference Library. Bain recognized the Library's role in preserving our cultural heritage.

 

 

The gallery expansion was made possible through a major corporate gift to the Toronto Public Library Foundation’s re:vitalize – Toronto Reference Library Campaign from TD Bank Group.

TD’s gift has enabled a significant redesign and expansion of its gallery space, which is primarily used for four expertly curated exhibitions each year featuring a broad range of rare and original materials that are drawn from the Special Collections in Canadiana, performing arts, documentary art, early children’s literature, speculative fiction and Arthur Conan Doyle materials. Opened originally in 1997, the gallery closed in early 2010 for renovations. Features of the expanded TD Gallery include:

•     A 40% increase in size to 2,600 square feet;
•     A new curved glass wall to increase gallery transparency and profile;
•     New interactive technology features to enable new mixed media presentations;
•     New museum standard HVAC, lighting and other conservation features.

We invite everyone to come by and have a look at the newly renovated spaces at the Toronto Reference Library, visit the newly re-opened TD Gallery, and check out the exhibit, which runs to Sat Sep 1, 2012.

How can you resist an invitation from James Bain, our first chief librarian and, a gentleman with such a twinkle in his eye?

 

Service Update - May 15, 2012

We have moved collections to serve you better!

As part of the revitalization program at the Toronto Reference Library, we have formed new subject departments by gathering all related subject material together (including periodicals) on a single floor in a way that reflects how they are used.  This makes it more convenient for you to access related materials.

New department arrangements:

Floor 2             Humanities & Social Sciences (including Urban Affairs and eventually, genealogy , maps                         and local history)

Floor 3             Business, Science & Technology

Floor 4             Languages & Literature

                       Special Collections (final home on the 5^th floor)

Floor 5             Arts

Some of the collections are still in a transition stage because of construction.  It will also take a while for the catalogue to reflect all the changes.  If you have questions or could not find a book, please ask staff for assistance.

There continues to be some service disruption due to construction:

For the week of May 14: 

While the Genealogy, Maps and Local History collections are still on the 4th floor, the re-location of the post 1920 map collection from the Special Collections Centre, 4th floor to the Humanities and Social Sciences Department, 2nd floor has begun. Before the map cabinets arrive on the 2nd floor, they will be painted.  The move will be done in stages, so only a portion of the map collection will be unavailable to the public at a time.

Currently, there are no public internet stations on the 5th floor due to relocation of the construction hoarding.  Parts of the Picture Collection may be inaccessible due to cabinet painting.

 The Languages collection has been moved from the 5th floor to the 4th floor.  However, some multilingual dictionaries and language learning materials remain on the 5th floor for now and will be moved soon. 

The Arthur Conan Doyle Room on the 5^th floor is temporarily closed. However, the collection is still accessible in the Baldwin Room in Special Collections on the 4^th floor.

 

Best. Present. Ever.

We've been waiting for so long, we weren't sure it would ever happen, but the new Cube Entrance to TRL is finally open, as of this morning. Check out the pre-opening pictures and movies on the TRL Facebook Page from yesterday.

                Architect's drawing                                                    TRL today

 

The glass, the light, the high ceiling lift the spirit as you enter. We still have plenty more work to do on the main floor, but even the TD Gallery is nearing completetion. We're looking forward to our first exhibit "A Passion for History: The Legacy of James Bain."

 

Collection Update - Business magazines and journals

The magazines and journals are starting to head to their new homes in the Toronto Reference Library.

As of today, titles related to Business, Science and Technology are moving from their old home in the Periodicals Department on the 4th floor to the 3rd floor.

Just ask staff at the 3rd floor or 4th floor Information Desks, right next to the elevator if you have any questions. Staff will be happy to help.

And we still have plenty of great titles for you to choose from on the 4th floor: Art, Photography, Architecture, Cinema, Theater, Literature, Languages, and more. Our thanks to everyone for their patience and understanding during this period of re-organization and re-vitalization at the Toronto Reference Library.

Getting Ready for the Grand Entrance

Could it be? Yes it's true. That scaffolding is finally down. And the last push is on to finish work on Toronto Reference Library's new entrance, before the year is over.

Inside the building, the drywall is down and daylight is visible through the Cube.
Here's a sneaky peek at what's behind that curtain inside.

 

Stay tuned, we may have a new entrance by next week!

And don't forget to check out the pdf copy of the new What's On, featuring the TRL Cube on the cover.