Arts & Culture

Did you know the Toronto Public Library (TPL) has a collection of vinyl records? Up on the 5th floor of the Toronto Reference Library there are over 15,000 LPs available for patrons to listen to, although they can't be signed out and taken home. Back in the day, every branch in the city used to lend out records the way they do CDs and DVDs now; when I'm out looking for vinyl I still see them in thrift stores from time to time, with the branch name stamped on the cover and due date slips attached.

 The library's collection includes a treasure trove of classic rock:

Spoken word:

Plays:

Folk music from every corner of the globe:

Documentaries and experimental music:

And classical and opera:

But I'm a jazz guy, so that's what I came to have a look at. And there was no shortage of it, from swing to bebop to free jazz to '70s jazz-funk:

So if you've got an interest in music or vinyl, or both, come on over and sit down with a record or three at one of our listening stations, also located up on the fifth floor:

If you’d like to dig through the TPL’s digital crates to see what we’ve got, here is the complete list of our vinyl collection.