Parliament Street Library (1955): Community Service Hero

Parliament Street Library impressed me as an unassuming centre of learning with a high standard of service. From the tree-trunk street furniture (recycled from Regent’s Park demolition rubble) to containers of crayons provided for the kids, Parliament Street’s attention to detail sent a powerful message of care.

When I arrived at 9:30 on a Tuesday morning in 2011, the library was already busy. Almost all of the early arrivals were men who quickly staked their claims at the study carrels, computer units, and large tables. One man guarded a trolley that seemed to contain all his possessions, including water bottles, a bag of bread, and some clothes.

Sharing my fellow patrons’ library enthusiasm, I started my personal tour of Parliament Street in the east wing. Happily, it contained lots of windows, including a curving bank of them with a view of the butterfly garden and tree-stump sculpture (the result of two projects undertaken by the Ward 28 Greenspace Committee).

I liked how the east wing reached out to lovers of diverse languages, offering materials in Spanish, French, Tamil, Chinese, Vietnamese, Somali, and Amharic. Music enthusiasts also had their personal haven, a piano practice room that could be booked for an hour.

Adjacent to the piano room was a quiet study room. As I sat there taking photos of book covers, it was a pleasure to hear slightly muffled melodies coming from next door.

And when I walked over to the Children’s Area in the west wing, I was immediately struck by the tapestry piece on the south wall. What appealed to me about this wall-hanging was its wild woven strands on the horizontal combined with knotted strips of fabric hanging on the vertical. A fabulous textile!

In addition to the lively tapestry, a group of stuffed animals lent their plush hospitality to the west wing. For example, a giant Clifford dog sprawled on the ledge beside the red ramp leading to the Story Hour Room, and dotted along the upper ramparts of the shelving were Curious George, an alligator, Franklin the Turtle, and Babar the Elephant.

The Children’s Section was empty at first, except for a solitary reader who had pulled up her chair right next to a window sill. However, as the magic hour (and a half) of 10:30 drew nigh, librarians began to bustle in preparation for Preschool Story Time. Soon, a number of young story-seekers and their caregivers began to file into the Story Hour Room and gather in front of the puppet theatre. It was heartening to see that even in the 21st century, the prospect of a traditional story can still generate buzz!

It would have been fun to hear the story, but I only had enough time to see the second floor before I left. As I walked up the steps, I remembered an ESL field trip to this library that took place in 2005. Some very helpful staff at Parliament Street gave a large group of LINC students from my centre an orientation, and the nerd in me thrilled at the sight of so many students receiving their first shiny blue library cards! (On my 2011 visit, an ESL class was in progress in the same room where my former students had filled out library application forms en masse).

More good work was taking place on the second floor, which also housed the Toronto Centre for Community Learning and Development as well as the Neighbourhood Information Post. I learned from one of Parliament’s librarians that many patrons visit the Information Post to fill out forms, pick up mail, and receive welfare cheques — a crucial service that responds to bureaucracies’ demand for permanent addresses. This is quiet heroism at its best.

All in all, I came away from my Parliament Street visits with a strong sense of this library’s commitment to serving children, immigrants, aspiring artists, and low-income patrons on the very edge of survival. Of course, all of the TPL branches provide these services, too. It’s just that community work seems especially visible at this particular branch. For this reason, I believe Parliament Street deserves extra credit for its valiant role in supporting Toronto’s most vulnerable citizens.