Humber Summit Library on the Run

My first visit to Humber Summit (1974) was a flying one because it was less than an hour before closing when I arrived. A small branch placed on top of a gentle hill, Humber Summit’s interior successfully imitated a comfortable living room.

Contributing to the domestic atmosphere was a group of youngsters on a red sofa who were watching Hairspray. While Tracy Turnblad danced her way to personal and civil rights victories, I looked at shelves that offered materials in Spanish, Italian, Punjabi and Urdu. (On my return visit in 2014, I noticed that Spanish and Italian were no longer part of the collection). Despite the presence of a ten-headed demon king, Humber Summit’s generously-placed windows comforted me with sunlight no matter which direction I turned.

Though I could have basked in front of the main floor’s windows for much longer, I sensed that the librarians were getting antsy to close, so I dashed downstairs for a quick look. The rooms were locked, but I discovered an auditorium, a couple of meeting rooms, a homework club, and a Leading-to-Reading office. I liked how there was a choice of two different staircases to take you back up to the main level; one led to the northwest corner of the library and the other to the outer lobby.

Minutes before closing, I made a hasty exit to avoid delaying the staff. However, there was still time to admire a sparkly display in the lobby and the business names across the street: Om Cash Bank, Bollywood Lollywood DVD’s, Empanadas, and Asafo Market. As I walked back to the car, all was quiet at sunset on the mild slopes of Humber Summit.