To reach Saint James Town Library, I passed through Wellesley Community Centre’s lobby, where an up-tempo game of table tennis was in progress. As I hurried to the library entrance, the cheerful sound of basketballs thumping on the gymnasium floor punctuated my footsteps.
At 12:35 p.m. (five minutes after opening), the library was almost as crowded as the gym. Every computer unit’s dance card was full, and a number of patrons were lining up for their turn to surf.
In addition to the draw of free internet, I could see why people were eager to spend time at Saint James Town. With the entire west wall (and part of the south) composed of windows, only a bat or a vampire could complain about so much sunshine flooding the space.
I liked the quiet jellyfish corner, a contrast to the constant foot traffic at the corner of Wellesley and Sherbourne. In harmony with the sea-creature theme, fishing-rods had sprouted from the wall and spun out their lines to catch paper fish on a column. And sailing overhead was a colourful ship.
Joining the ship in the air was a watchful dragon who could oversee the entire library from his vantage point. Included in his domain was a large paper castle with fairy tale inhabitants and a dragon comrade.
Fortunately, the smaller dragon’s cardboard flames posed no threat to an amazing book collection. Although Saint James Town was modest in size, its linguistic span was wide enough to include Chinese, French, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, and Urdu.
A fire drill cut short my 2011 visit, but I had definitely seen enough to feel admiration for this well-utilized and vital branch in the heart of the city. A return trip in 2015 only confirmed this impression, especially when the word “imagine” etched itself in shadow on the warm windowsill.
Saint James Town, thank you for proclaiming the light of imagination from the windows and the castle ramparts! Your jellyfish, flying ship, and dragons foster a playful learning environment for the fortunate Toronto Public Library patrons who call you home.
