In a post dated September 16, 2007, I wrote a brief line about Brookbanks Library, “a quiet branch near a karate school in North York”. I figured a more in-depth description was past due, so I paid a second visit to Brookbanks last Tuesday.
Tucked unobtrusively behind a shopping plaza, the modest building (built in 1968) contained an auditorium on the lower level, a main level, and a raised platform near the back of the main level that occupied about a quarter of the interior space (similar in design to Mimico Centennial). Connecting the main floor with the upper platform was a short flight of steps and a ramp in the shape of a backwards letter “L”.
Books and DVD’s in Farsi, French, Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, and Romanian caught my eye on the south wall, just to the right of the entrance. Presumably in response to a shift in local demographics, a couple of posted notices advised that the Russian collection had been moved to Fairview Library, as had the Tamil collection (which could also be accessed at Maryvale branch).
As I rounded the northeast corner of the main floor, I came upon agreeable window seats along the north wall. They were plush, gently purple, and low to the ground. A matching set, though upholstered in green, were in the fiction and teen section, located on the raised level. Young patrons reading on the floor and lounging on green cushions gave the library a homey, comfortable atmosphere. I liked how nobody was shooing them in the direction of more conventional surfaces like tables and chairs.
I took the ramp back down to the main level, which gave me the opportunity to check out an elaborate mural that stretched across a third of the north wall and most of the west wall. The centerpiece of the work was a large tree trunk from which grew copious foliage spreading in two directions. The more I looked into the leaves, the more I discovered: the yellow hat of Curious George’s guardian, a trio of capital A’s and B’s, a green monster claw grabbing a purple book, a yellow rabbit, mangos, parrots, a sign that warned of “Snoozing Grues!”, birds with no middles (only legs, beaks, and spectacles), a second descending monster foot (white with pink talons), blue bears, and a Famous Tails collection that included thin tails, fat tails, and striped tails in assorted colours.
The last set of window seats of the day (blue this time) were flush against the south wall in the children’s section. A huge white bear, taller than many of the aspiring readers in his jurisdiction, hosted a number of other stuffed animals on his person. Three bunnies — Bugs, a generic rabbit in calico, and one in a camouflage jumpsuit — rested on the bear’s lap while a turtle and small bear occupied his right leg. A large Curious George doll sat to the big bear’s left and rested a friendly hand on his shoulder. A marketing-savvy librarian had propped a copy of Knut the Baby Polar Bear just below George’s hand.
Taking a final glance around Brookbanks Library, I noticed a fuzzy piranha in green and blue near my left foot. Although its many teeth were made of felt and I wasn’t wearing sandals, I decided it was an excellent time to catch an express bus on York Mills Road.
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