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Toronto Public Library Pilgrimage of 100 Branches

Evelyn Gregory Library on Trowell (Near Eglinton Avenue West and Keele)

2012
2015
2015

Trowell Avenue ranks high on my list of pleasing street names, and the charm of Evelyn Gregory Library lived up to its address. A stand-alone building with a low roof, big trees on the lawn, a large rock, and a picnic bench, it blended well with its residential surroundings. In this respect, Evelyn Gregory reminded me of Bendale, Victoria Village, and Mimico Centennial branches.

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2015

Completed in 1968, Evelyn Gregory’s interior also conveyed a domestic vibe. Its central checkout area had a warm brick wall behind it, which complemented the low ceiling and informal atmosphere. The patrons seemed right at home, which was confirmed when I overheard a librarian asking an elderly gentleman if he had enjoyed his holiday.

To the left of the staff’s friendly bailiwick was the Teens and Children’s Zone. The south wall of this section contained a large window next to group of trees, greenish light pushing through the canopy. While I was gazing out the window, a ghoulish scream made me jump. I swiveled to my left and saw a grayish-green zombie face on a nearby computer screen.

Composure restored, I walked to the west wall to study a mural that looked several decades old. Against a pale blue background, kids were sledding, rollerskating, building sand castles, playing leapfrog, and blowing bubbles.

2015
2015

The east side of the library lacked murals, but there were inviting carpeted ledges that jutted out from the base of two sets of wide windows. The ledge was too narrow to be an out-and-out bench, but there was just enough room to accommodate patrons with a resolve to perch.

2015
2015

One young reader had snagged the coveted corner where the two ledges met to form a right angle. This spot afforded a more secure surface from which to lean back against the warm glass and fall into the pages of a book. (On my second visit to the branch in 2012, I was disappointed to see signs that banned ledge-sitting).

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Near the popular reading corner, tall shelves were filled with non-fiction materials, including Spanish, Portuguese, and ESL offerings. A few shelves away, Evelyn Gregory’s DVD collection was especially robust, and I quickly found a good movie for later that evening. Bidding the branch farewell, I checked out The Secret Life of Bees and returned to the shaded sidewalks of Trowell Avenue.

2012

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