Toronto Local History Collections in Toronto Public Library
Toronto local history collections are provided in more than 30 branches of the Toronto Public Library. The collections include materials of historical significance about a specific geographic area. This could be the Toronto neighbourhood(s) served by the local branch library; an historic community, such as an annexed municipality; or the City of Toronto as a whole.
The collections are intended to serve students working on projects from elementary school to college and university, and adult independent learners, including newcomers, long-time residents and visitors, interested in learning more about a community. The collections are also good starting places for local historians and genealogists, heritage groups and other professionals needing local information for their avocations or jobs.
Local history collections vary significantly in size, ranging from occupying a few shelves or file drawers to being housed in separate rooms, but generally they:
- Cover a wide range of subjects.
- Include a variety of formats, often books, vertical files, community newspapers, pictures and maps.
- Are for in-library reference use. Circulating copies of many books also are available in Toronto Public Library collections.
- Emphasize secondary sources and copies of rare, original materials.
- Include some items that are not listed in the library’s online catalog.
In some branch local history collections, new items are not being added to collections of vertical files, pictures and maps, which may have been superseded by electronic databases and digital archives.
Consult our Map of Neighbourhood Historical Resources for additional local history materials in Toronto Public Library’s collections and links to websites selected by Library staff.
Branch Local History Collections
Annette Street Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Junction, High Park (north of Bloor Street)
Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Community newspapers, Pictures, Maps
Use: Reference
Beaches Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Beach, Upper Beach, Danforth (Main Street area)
Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Community newspapers, Pictures. Selected items are available on the Digital Archive
Use: Reference
Bloor/Gladstone Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Brockton (north section), Dovercourt, Dufferin Grove-Bickford Park
Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Community newspapers, Pictures, Maps
Use: Reference. Duplicate copies of some books circulate
Cedarbrae District Branch Scarborough Historical Collection
Neighbourhoods: Former City of Scarborough and its neighbourhoods - Agincourt, Bendale, Birch Cliff, Clairlea-Golden Mile, Cliffside-Cliffcrest, Guildwood, Dorset Park, Highland Creek, Knob Hill, L'Amoreaux, Malvern, Maryvale, Milliken, Oakridge, Port Union-West Rouge, Rouge, Scarborough Junction, Scarborough Village, Upper Rouge, West Hill, Wexford, Woburn.
Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Community newspapers, Pictures, Maps, Microforms
Use: Reference
Deer Park Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Deer Park, Rosedale/Moore Park (north of the CP line)
Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Community newspapers, Pictures, Maps
Use: Reference. Duplicate copies of some books circulate.
Don Mills Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Don Mills
Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Maps, Ephemera
Use: Reference
Dufferin/St. Clair Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Earlscourt, Wychwood–Hillcrest (northwest section), Oakwood-Vaughan (southwest section)
Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Pictures, Maps, Community newspapers
Use: Reference
Forest Hill Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Forest Hill
Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Community newspapers
Use: Reference
Gerrard/Ashdale Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Leslieville, Upper Beach (Gerrard and Coxwell area of both neighbourhoods)
Formats: Books, Vertical files (inactive; PDF), Newspapers, Pictures, Maps
Use: Reference
Guildwood Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Guildwood
Formats: Books, Community newsletters
Use: Reference
High Park Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: High Park, Parkdale (Roncesvalles area and High Park – the park itself)
Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Community newspapers, Ephemera
Use: Reference
Leaside Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Leaside, Thorncliffe Park
Formats: Books, Community newspapers, newsletters and magazines, Pictures, Maps, Artifacts, Archival records (Leaside Public Library), Ephemera (scrapbooks)
Use: Reference
Long Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Long Branch
Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Community newspapers, Pictures, Maps, Archival records (Long Branch Public Library)
Use: Reference
Maria Shchuka Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Former City of York and its neighbourhoods: Lambton, Mount Dennis, Silverthorn, Weston
Formats: Books, Vertical files, Community newspapers, Ephemera (Scrapbooks), Archival records (York Public Library)
Use: Reference
North York Central Library. Society and Recreation Department. North York History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Former City of North York and its neighbourhoods - Amesbury Park, Armour Heights, Bayview Village, Bridle Path-Sunnybrook, Don Mills, Don Valley Village, Downsview, Elia-Branson, Emery, Fairbank, Flemingdon Park, Henry Farm, Hillcrest Village, Humber Summit, Lansing, Lawrence Manor, Maple Leaf, Newtonbrook, Pleasant View, Weston, Willowdale, York Mills, York University-Black Creek
Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Ephemera (including pamphlets, posters and postcards), Community newspapers, Pictures, Maps, Microforms, Artifacts, Archival records (e.g., North York Historical Society). Selected items are available on the Digital Archive
Use: Reference
Finding aids (in branch): Electronic databases for Maps, Photographs, North York History, North York Newspapers. North York Scrapbooks Index; Archival Holdings List. Research Guide to North York History Resources
Northern District Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: North Toronto
Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Ephemera, Community newspapers, Pictures, Maps. Selected items are available on the Digital Archive
Use: Reference
Palmerston Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Annex, Palmerston-Sussex Ulster, Seaton Village
Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Community newspapers, Pictures
Use: Reference
Parkdale Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Parkdale, Brockton (south section), Exhibition, Sunnyside
Formats: Books, Vertical files (inactive PDF), Community newspapers, Pictures, Maps
Use: Reference
Finding aids (in branch): Card index
Parliament Street Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Cabbagetown, St. James Town, Regent Park
Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Community newspapers, Pictures, Maps
Use: Reference; duplicate copies of some books for circulation
Queen/Saulter Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Riverdale, Leslieville (Queen-Broadview area)
Formats: Books, Vertical files, Community newspapers, Pictures
Use: Reference
Richview Branch Etobicoke History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Former City of Etobicoke and its neighbourhoods - Alderwood, Eatonville, Eringate Humber Bay, Humber Valley Village, Islington, Kingsway, Long Branch, Mimico, New Toronto, Rexdale, Richview, Sunnylea, Thistletown and Weston
Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Ephemera (e.g., Tweedsmuir history scrapbooks), Community newspapers, newsletters and magazines; Pictures, Maps (PDF), Artifacts, Archival records (e.g., Etobicoke Public Library, Richview Women’s Institute) Microforms, Oral histories
Use: Reference
Finding aids (in branch): Subject card index to Etobicoke newspapers, 1950-present
Riverdale Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Riverdale, Danforth (west of Pape Avenue), Leslieville, Port Lands
Formats: Books; Vertical files (PDF), Ephemera, Community newspapers, newsletters and magazines, Pictures, Maps. Selected items are available on the Digital Archive
Use: Reference; duplicate copies of some books circulate.
Finding aids (in branch): Subject card index, 1880s-1970s
Runnymede Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Bloor West Village (including Baby Point, Runnymede), High Park (including Roncesvalles), Junction, Sunnyside, Swansea
Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Community newspapers, Pictures, Maps
Use: Reference; duplicate copies of some books circulate
S. Walter Stewart Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: East York
Formats: Books, Ephemera, Pictures, Maps
Use: Reference
Sanderson Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Kensington-Grange (west of Spadina Avenue); Palmerston-Sussex Ulster (south of Harbord Street); King-Spadina, Trinity Bellwoods (east of Ossington Avenue);
Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Ephemera, Community newspapers, Pictures
Use: Reference
St. Lawrence Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Financial District (east of Yonge Street), St. Lawrence
Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Community newspapers
Use: Reference; some books circulate
Swansea Memorial Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Swansea
Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Pictures, Maps
Use: Reference; some books circulate
Toronto Reference Library. Humanities and Social Sciences Department. Local History and Genealogy Collection
Neighbourhoods: City of Toronto and its neighbourhoods (along with many other geographic areas)
Formats: Books (including copies of Toronto city directories (1833-1998) and telephone directories); Vertical files (Donald Jones' "Historical Toronto" articles, Toronto Star, 1973-1991; Toronto buildings - both inactive); Maps (including copies of Toronto fire insurance plans); Microforms (including Biographical scrapbooks, Toronto scrapbooks and Toronto Public Library scrapbooks); Ephemera (including The A. Norman Sands Collection of Local History)
Use: Reference
Finding aids (in library): Card file indexes to biographies and Toronto buildings vertical files. Published Index to Donald Jones Toronto Star articles; Index to biographical scrapbooks; Index to Toronto scrapbooks. Electronic subject headings for A. Norman Sands Collection of Local History York (County) - Toronto section
Toronto Reference Library. Humanities and Social Sciences Department. Toronto Collection (PDF)
Neighbourhoods: City of Toronto and its neighbourhoods
Formats: Books, Vertical files (closed in 2010), Community newspapers (mostly on microfilm), Maps, Microforms, Archival records (e.g., City of Toronto Council minutes), Ephemera (e.g., election campaign literature).
Use: Reference
Weston Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Weston
Formats: Books, Pictures, Maps, Archival records (Weston Public Library and its predecessor and successor libraries), Ephemera. Selected items are available on the Digital Archive
Use: Reference; duplicates of some books circulate
Finding aids: Pages of Weston History 100 Years and Beyond
Wychwood Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Wychwood-Hillcrest, Oakwood-Vaughan (southeast area), Cedarvale (south area)
Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Pictures, Archival records (Bracondale Public Library), Ephemera. Selected items are available on the Digital Archive
Use: Reference
Yorkville Branch Local History Collection
Neighbourhoods: Yorkville, Rosedale-Moore Park (south of CP line, west of Mount Pleasant Road) Formats: Books, Vertical files (PDF), Pictures, Maps
Use: Reference
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