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Toronto Public Library Pilgrimage of 100 Branches

Classy High Park Library (1916)

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2015

Like its sister branches, Wychwood (1916) and Beaches (1916), the interior of Carnegie-funded High Park Library boasts a high timbered ceiling on the second floor. Its Edwardian dignity creates a calm, even sanctified atmosphere; one of the librarians told me that patrons often ask if the building used to be a church. At Christmas time, High Park’s spiritual character is highlighted by carolers who find a natural perch on the minstrel gallery on the east side, projecting their voices into the depths of space.

2015
2015

On my first visit, I trotted up the steps to the singing platform, glorying in the perspective it provided. Standing on this interior balcony, I could take in the entire south wing of the upper level.

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I enjoyed looking at the dark brown timbers, the central stripe of orange paint, the stone hearth, and the painting above it. From this elevated roost, I could imagine the thousands of thoughts, from the dullest to the most sublime, which have floated in the ether above readers’ heads for almost a century. Once upon a time, gentlemen in cravats and cuff links composed purple poems to ladies with puffed sleeves, the soaring ceiling a container for daydreams.

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I appreciated the solitude of the lofty gallery, the way it provided a place apart to study and think. When I returned to the second floor proper, I discovered another nook along the south wall. This alcove held the Jobs and Literacy collection and a hopeful skylight, the perfect spot to set goals for personal and professional development.

After tilting my head back for a serious bout of window-gazing, I walked to the north wing, only to find more windows to appreciate, especially the large one facing the side of Emmanuel Howard Park United Church. The Teen corner (with its bench shaped like a corner of a picture frame) had an air of openness thanks to the high windows that overlooked the greenery below.

The expansiveness of the upper floor gave way to a cozier lower level, which was primarily devoted to children’s materials. The Kid’s Section was supervised by a friendly whale in mid-leap who hung suspended from a library ceiling. Despite its amiable expression, vexing this marine mammal would be inadvisable, especially as it guards access to the air conditioning unit.

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To the right of the whale was a carpeted reading theatre. The stage was empty on the afternoon of my visit, but it was heartening to see a family gathered around a nearby low table. As a father read a story about pigs to his young daughter, I recalled the sound of my dad’s voice when he used to read The Little Engine that Could, Green Eggs and Ham, and The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

Before taking leave of this classy and historic branch, I silently gave thanks for all the caregivers who take the time to read to children and cultivate a love of words, books, and libraries.

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2015

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