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If these stacks couldtalk
Yorkville Library Turns 100
Sarah B. Hood, National Post
Published: Saturday, August 04, 2007
Yorkville has seen its share of changes, from its early days as an independent village to its time as a hippie haven and, ultimately, its current incarnation as an upscale shopping spot and the focal point of the film festival. The Yorkville Branch of Toronto Public Library at 22 Yorkville Ave., which turns 100 this year, has stood as a constant through all this.
"It's the oldest public library that is still open," says branch head Tiziano Vanola. The original library was founded in 1884 on the west side of Yonge, opposite Collier Street. However, the building that generations of Yorkvillians have come to know and love was conceived in 1903 with the assistance of a $350,000 grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Designed by City architect Robert McCallum, it opened its doors on June 13, 1907. The Yorkville Branch marked the anniversary with a birthday party for itself this past June 16. The building has undergone some renovation (notably an addition in 1978), but it remained largely unaltered until a May, 2003 retrofit -- or so staff members thought. When the recent work was being done, workers came upon a tile floor in the building's front vestibule. It's made up of small hexagonal white tiles surrounded by a border of green-and-white rectangular tiles in a keystone pattern. They also found two brass sconces for gaslights hidden inside a wall and covered with layers of paint. They're on display at the branch until Labour Day.
As part of the 100th anniversary celebrations, Yorkville Library has launched a fundraising campaign to restore the tile floor, the sconces and the library's main oak doors. The goal is $30,000, of which $15,000 is dedicated to the floor. The campaign began on June 16 and more than $5,000 has already been raised.
"We've been asking people, if they can, to make a lead gift of $1,000-plus, and we've received four of them thus far, all from individuals," says Liza Fernandes, senior development co-ordinator for the Toronto Public Library Foundation. "We hope to be able to announce before the end of the year that we've met our goal."
People who would like to contribute to the fund can either pick up a form at the library or call the Foundation at 416-393-7123. Every donor receives a tax receipt, and the names of those who give at least $1,000 will be inscribed on a plaque at the library, in a sense making them part of the history of the building.
-Yorkville Library centenary celebrations continue into the fall with a lecture series that runs until Nov. 7. For more information, call 416-393-7660.
If these stacks couldtalk
Yorkville Library Turns 100
Sarah B. Hood, National Post
Published: Saturday, August 04, 2007
Yorkville has seen its share of changes, from its early days as an independent village to its time as a hippie haven and, ultimately, its current incarnation as an upscale shopping spot and the focal point of the film festival. The Yorkville Branch of Toronto Public Library at 22 Yorkville Ave., which turns 100 this year, has stood as a constant through all this.
"It's the oldest public library that is still open," says branch head Tiziano Vanola. The original library was founded in 1884 on the west side of Yonge, opposite Collier Street. However, the building that generations of Yorkvillians have come to know and love was conceived in 1903 with the assistance of a $350,000 grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Designed by City architect Robert McCallum, it opened its doors on June 13, 1907. The Yorkville Branch marked the anniversary with a birthday party for itself this past June 16. The building has undergone some renovation (notably an addition in 1978), but it remained largely unaltered until a May, 2003 retrofit -- or so staff members thought. When the recent work was being done, workers came upon a tile floor in the building's front vestibule. It's made up of small hexagonal white tiles surrounded by a border of green-and-white rectangular tiles in a keystone pattern. They also found two brass sconces for gaslights hidden inside a wall and covered with layers of paint. They're on display at the branch until Labour Day.
As part of the 100th anniversary celebrations, Yorkville Library has launched a fundraising campaign to restore the tile floor, the sconces and the library's main oak doors. The goal is $30,000, of which $15,000 is dedicated to the floor. The campaign began on June 16 and more than $5,000 has already been raised.
"We've been asking people, if they can, to make a lead gift of $1,000-plus, and we've received four of them thus far, all from individuals," says Liza Fernandes, senior development co-ordinator for the Toronto Public Library Foundation. "We hope to be able to announce before the end of the year that we've met our goal."
People who would like to contribute to the fund can either pick up a form at the library or call the Foundation at 416-393-7123. Every donor receives a tax receipt, and the names of those who give at least $1,000 will be inscribed on a plaque at the library, in a sense making them part of the history of the building.
-Yorkville Library centenary celebrations continue into the fall with a lecture series that runs until Nov. 7. For more information, call 416-393-7660.