When I stepped into Rexdale Library’s lobby on my first visit, I spent several minutes studying a historical display about the library. It included a fascinating newspaper clipping that showed how rural Kipling Heights used to be in 1955.
Though not as empty as the field in the photograph, Rexdale wasn’t crowded on the afternoon of my first visit. Near the west wall, a couple of elderly men reminisced about post-war TTC fares that cost six cents.
A few shelves away from the gentlemen’s table were books and DVD’s in languages that were rarely heard in Kipling Heights fifty-five years ago: Gujarati, Punjabi, Spanish, and Hindi. Complementing the multilingual materials, a paper tree bearing name-fruit provided more examples of Rexdale’s rich diversity.
The tree was located to the left of a C-shaped bench under the west bay windows where Lola Bunny, Dora the Explorer, Winnie the Pooh, Pikachu, and an Anime Warrior Girl dwelled.
Opposite the windows, a wooden sliding screen completed the circle started by the window seat. The screen’s flexibility made it possible to enclose the area and define it as separate from the rest of the library. Emphasizing the room’s singularity, a circular depression in the middle suggested a woodland pond.
Two carpeted steps led readers down to the pool, providing a suitable transition from land to water. With late afternoon sunlight shining through the bay windows, this otherwise ordinary branch was transformed into a cartoon gallery.
The effect was even more theatrical on a return visit in October 2014, for the paper tree had turned scary for the season and atmospheric cobwebs draped the room.
Rexdale Library, thank you for your history, diversity, cartoon characters, and willingness to celebrate the changing seasons!