Located on the left side of a walkway leading to the mall, Steeles Library was very compact, and the homey impression created by its lime green walls was taken up a notch by the presence of several stuffed creatures on top of a high shelf: a gorilla, Tweety Bird, and Marvin the Martian.
These stuffed entities lined the south wall of the library, not far from a reading corner for youngsters. A padded bench along the east wall had been placed under a bank of windows overlooking the covered walkway. This bench seemed ideal for small readers with big imaginations. Sheltered below eye level, they could read without being detected by the mall shoppers who bustle back and forth outside. “Heh heh!” a thought bubble might say, “I’m reading here and you don’t know it!”
Despite Steeles’ limited size, it was possible to find areas of expansiveness, including some restful views of trees and parkland from the north windows. I even saw a bird on a branch!
The program room floor was a carpet of stars and planets, a reminder of the limitless world of creativity contained in books. Where else could a cat share a swing with birds or a frog dress up like a tourist?
As I prepared to leave the library, I took a moment to admire how busy the library was at 10:30 on a Friday morning. Nearly every chair was occupied by a reader, and it made me happy to see so many folks consuming words instead of mall-products.
Steps away from the exit, a diagonal length of bike rack pointed the way to some open recreational land behind the mall. I loved how the same sense of openness and possibility filled the deceptively small confines of Steeles Library!
2 replies on “At Home at Bamburgh Gardens Shopping Plaza: Steeles Library (1987)”
Bright and cozy space! Uplifting article, thanks for scouting out the libraries of the Greater Toronto area.
You’re welcome, Barbara! It’s been fun. Wish you could be here for my talk about the library blog this Thursday! Thank you for your lovely comment!