Week 15

So - U of T has 44 libraries.  I've know this for a while, and I've been meaning to try and check out all the libraries.  I'm counting this as one ongoing "event" even though really it should be 20 separate excursions.  But hey. Lunchtime strolls are nice I guess. Most of these I'll try to tackle this month; I've noticed I haven't been moving as much as I used to in my old job, so an excuse to get out of the office is good! 

Date: Ongoing
Event/Activity: Check out all U of T libraries on campus
Capacity:  Student
Link: https://onesearch.library.utoronto.ca/libraries

Description: 
The University of Toronto Libraries system includes 44 libraries on three campuses.

Experience:
  • I'll make a few comments below; but I like libraries a lot - I actually worked in the Toronto Public Library system for 2 years
  • I'll try to go there to actually study, otherwise I'll just poke my head in, it's cool to see what our libraries look like!



Libraries I’ve been to before this project:
 I’ve been to 22 of U of T’s 44 libraries!  Not bad eh?

Architecture, Landscape, and Design (Eberhard Zeidler Library)
1 Spadina Crescent
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2J5
416-978-2649
I went to Doors Open Toronto this year and saw the new Architecture building including the library!  It was gorgeous! Pretty small, but cute and definitely a nice quiet space.  It’s a bit far from the rest of campus, in terms of the location of the architecture building, so I would assume it’d mainly be architecture students who hang out here. I contemplated including photos in this post…but it’s already so long, I’m not sure if that’s a good idea.

Career Resource Library, Koffler Centre
214 College St
Toronto, Ontario M5T 2Z9
416-978-8002
So….this doesn’t actually exist anymore.  I worked in the “Career Centre” (now the Student Success Centre) and this library was pretty much tossed out when we started the renovations within the last two years.  They’ve moved to online e-books….does this mean U of T doesn’t actually have 44 libraries?!?! *Gasp*

Criminology Information Service & Library
14 Queen's Park Crescent West
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3K9
416-978-7124 (ext 245)

I have a double major and a minor for my undergrad degree – one of my majors was criminology!  I spent a fair amount of time in the Criminology building for office hours, and to pick up my assignments.  The first time I went into the building looking for my professor’s office, I accidentally stumbled into a small quiet room lined with books.  Well, guess it was a library!  This is another building that’s out of the way; so I would assume it’d mainly be Crim Masters students who use the space.

Earth Sciences Library (Noranda)
5 Bancroft Avenue, 2nd Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A5
416-978-3024

I forget why I had to go to this library in undergrad.  Perhaps it was when I was taking biology classes?  I remember getting so lost trying to find this space – thinking about it now; I remember a bunch of staircases that didn’t connect, and a long hallway.  It was an adventure, but I made it!  It was a nice library, a bit bigger than the other ones. 

Gerstein Science Information Centre
Sigmund Samuel Library Building 7 & 9 King's College Circle
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A5
416-978-2280

I think everyone’s been to Gerstein in undergrad.  I’ve explored their creepy basement and random hidden meeting rooms.  Back in undergrad I generally stuck with the first floor study tables facing out to Queens Park.  It was nice to have natural light, and it was somewhat comforting starting out into grass…for some reason.

Hart House Library
Hart House Circle
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H3
416-978-2452

This cute library is pretty small, I like Hart House in general (I gym there every day), and the library has the same character which is always nice.  To be honest, it’s way easier to just grab a seat in the first floor reading room rather than go up to the library, so that’s what I usually do.  Sometimes there’s some sketchy characters around as well xD

Industrial Relations and Human Resources Library (Newman)
121 St George St.
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2E8
416-978-2928

I think I accidentally stumbled into this library once.  I sat down for 5 minutes before I was kinda like..meh and left.  But yes, another cute small niche library – if I remember correctly it faces out to St. George street.

Information Commons
Robarts Library,1st Floor 130 St. George Street
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A5
416-978-4357

This is just basically Robarts. We’ve all been to that first floor to use the computers ahah.

Inforum, Faculty of Information
140 St. George Street 4th & 5th floors
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G6
416-978-7060

Came up here to get a book once for a friend.  Cute library within the iSchool section of Robarts.  It’s larger than the other small departmental libraries, and the library was super nice!

Innis College Library
2 Sussex Avenue, 2nd Floor (East Wing)
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1J5
416-978-4497

I came here to get a book for a friend – super small library.  You’d really just be there to get a book a leave, not really much place to sit around in this library.

Media Commons (Audiovisual, Media Archives, Microform)
130 St George St, 3rd Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A5
416-978-6520

I actually came here a lot to study, I don’t know why.  You can take out DVDs here and other audiovisual materials.  They also have special machines where you can watch specific types of medium.

Music Library
80 Queen's Park Crescent
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C5
416-978-3734

So my minor was music, and this crummy basement library was my jam.  I loved it – they had music manuscripts all around the place.  It was also the first time I had to use the crank to get the stacks open – definitely an eye opening experience!

New College Library (Ivey)
20 Willcocks Street
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1
416-978-2493

Came in here once to print – I was desperate.  It’s a nice library, lots of people come here to study, and there’s a fair amount of study room.

OISE Library
252 Bloor Street W
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1V6
416-978-1850

Well obviously I come here all the time now to get books!  It’s a second home at this point; I also used to come here between classes during undergrad.

Robarts Library
130 St. George St.
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A5
416-978-8450

Ah, Robarts.  The classic.  This was home during undergrad for sure.  I usually went to the four floor Media Commons (see above) or some of the higher floors where the natural light came into the study areas. 

St. Michael’s College - John M. Kelly Library
113 St Joseph St.
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1J4
416-926-7114

I don’t think I every stayed in this library to study, but I definitely popped by to pick up books and such.  It’s a pretty large library but it’s a little out of the way from main campus so I didn’t really hang there often.

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library
120 St George Street
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A5
416-978-5285

I’ve been here mainly to look at the exhibits, and for doors open Toronto.

Trinity College Library (John W Graham Library)
6 Hoskin Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1H8
416-978-5851

So this one I couldn’t remember off the top of my head whether I’ve visited.  But I had an image of a cute library in the basement and I think I went when my sister was getting a tour of the college back when she was in high school. I recall really liking the library – I’ll have to check it out again sometime.

University College Library
15 King's College Circle Laidlaw Wing, 2nd floor
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H7
416-978-8107

This library is really nice – I think most people end up going to the Junior Common Room, but it’s a great library with lots of light and great stacks.  I didn’t study up there, I think I must have been grabbing a book, but I liked it. 

Victoria University - Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies
71 Queen's Park Cres E, Rm 301 - Pratt Library
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1K7
416-585-4468

This is in the basement of Pratt – sometimes if I didn’t see a good spot on the main floor I’d come here.  Plus natural light. I’ve gotten books here in a few instances as well.

Victoria University - E J Pratt Library
71 Queen's Park Crescent East
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1K7
416-585-4470

Well, Vic was home, and home is where the heart is.  I went to this library quite often during undergrad before choir rehearsals.  In first year I stuck to the first floor, but I got tired of it and went up to the second floor with the natural light in upper years.  Love this library; it’s definitely the quietest on campus.

Victoria University - Emmanuel College Library
75 Queen's Park Cres E, 3rd Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1K7
416-585-4550

Emmanuel was another quiet one for studying; it was easy to get there since I was often at Vic.  Good times.  

Libraries I will not go to:
Some of the libraries are too far and/or I’m not comfortable wandering into a high school xD

Dentistry Library (Harry R Abbott)
124 Edward Street, Rm 267
Toronto, Ontario M5G 1G6
416-864-8211
Engineering & Computer Science Library - Aerospace Resource Centre
4925 Dufferin Street
Downsview, Ontario M3H 5T6
416-667-7712
Family & Community Medicine Library
500 University Ave, 5th floor
Toronto, Ontario M5G 1V7
416-978-5606
St Augustine's Seminary Library
2661 Kingston Road
Toronto, Ontario M1M 1M3
416-261-7207
U of T Scarborough Library
1265 Military Trail, Academic Resource Centre
Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4
416-287-7500
U of T Schools Library Information Centre (UTS)
371 Bloor Street West
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2R7
This is not far, but I’m not that comfortable wandering into a high school library
United Church of Canada Archives
40 Oak Street
Toronto, Ontario M5A 2C6
416-644-3140 ext. 101
University of Toronto Mississauga Library
3359 Mississauga Road North
Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6
905-828-5236
UTL at Downsview
Downsview Campus
North York, Ontario
416-667-7733


Libraries I will be checking out!  

Astronomy & Astrophysics Library
60 St George Street, Room 1306
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H8
416-978-4268

Business Information Centre at the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management
105 St. George Street 5th Floor, Room 5005
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E6
416-978-3421

Chemistry Library (A D Allen)
80 St George Street
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A5
416-978-3587

Department of Art Library
100 St George Street, 6th floor
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3
416-978-5006

Dr. Chun Resource Library (Centre for Women and Trans People & OPIRG)
563 Spadina Ave
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2J7
416-978-8201

East Asian Library (Cheng Yu Tung)
130 St George St, 8th floor
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A5
416-978-3300

Engineering & Computer Science Library
Sandford Fleming Building, Room 2402 10 King's College Road
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A5
416-978-6494

First Nations House Library
563 Spadina Avenue, 3rd Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A5
416-978-0413

Gail Brooker Ceramic Research Library at the Gardiner Museum
111 Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C7
416-408-5216

Government Publications
Robarts Library 5th Floor, 130 St. George St.
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A5
416-978-6215

Health Science Information Consortium of Toronto
7&9 King's College Circle
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A5
416-978-6359

Knox College Library (Caven)
59 St George St.
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2E6
416-978-6719

Law Library (Bora Laskin)
Faculty of Law, 78 Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C5
416-978-1073

Map and Data Library
130 St George St, 5th Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A5
416-978-5589

Martin Prosperity Institute (Rotman School of Management)
105 St. George Street Suite 9000
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E6
416-946-7032

Massey College Library (Robertson Davies)
4 Devonshire Place
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2E1
416-978-2893

Mathematical Sciences Library
40 St George Street, Rm 6141 Bahen Centre for Information Technology
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1
416-978-8624

Petro Jacyk Central & East European Resource Centre
130 St George St, Room 3008 (3rd floor)
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A5
416-978-0588

Physics Library
60 St George St, Room 211C, Burton Tower
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A7
416-978-5188

Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies Library
113 St Joseph Street, 4th floor
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1J4
416-926-7146

Regis College Library
100 Wellesley ST W
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2Z5
416-922-5474 x234

Richard Charles Lee Canada-Hong Kong Library
8th Floor, 130 St. George St.
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A5
416-946-8978

Royal Ontario Museum Library & Archives
100 Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C6
416-586-5595 or 416-586-5718 ext.3

U of T Archives & Records Management Services (UTARMS)
120 St George Street, Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, 4th Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A5
416-978-5344