Last week our library tour took us on a transit adventure. Today we are taking you inside our local library branch….the Beaches branch. This is the place we head to when we are looking for books to inspire our art projects, to read for the Virtual Book Club and the books that the girls sit and read quietly on their own. The fabulous thing about libraries, any library, is how they serve as a refuge in a neighbourhood. In the winter, we can step inside to warm up and in the summer we can cool off.
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| main entrance |
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| the children’s area |
The Beaches branch of the Toronto Public Library opened in 1916. We remember the most recent renovation that finished in 2005. This renovation resulted in bringing much more light into the library and expanding the children’s area. It truly is a beautiful building. The children’s area is located on the main level…in fact it is the entire main level. While I love the kid’s space, the adult space upstairs is equally wonderful. Upstairs you can relax in front of the fireplace or recline in the large armchairs with a view to the park outside. Our local library is located right beside a huge park, Kew Gardens. This park has a large span of green space, a baseball diamond and a fabulous children’s playground. This library and the park that sits beside it are two of the main reasons we live here.
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| heading to the children’s playground |
The library tip of the week is to get your child a library card as soon as they are born. Really. Recently, I found my very first library card, dated the year I was born. Somehow my mother held on to that little card all these years! Why is it important to get your child a card, even when they cannot technically take books out themselves? Children’s library cards often allow you to check out more books, for longer periods of time and with much lower over-due fines. Those are some pretty good reasons. For my girls, they love lining up with their own cards and checking out their books with the librarian.
Let’s break it down…
parking – the Queen Street streetcar stops right outside the library door (Lee Street exit) or there is pay parking on Queen Street, street parking on Lee and a paid parking lot on Lee Ave.
washrooms – washrooms are located near the front entrance, there is even a family washroom
children’s collection/programs – the children’s collection takes up the entire main floor of the library, it is very kid-friendly with a large book-covered house for youngsters to climb in.
bonus features – the bonus feature really is the setting, beautiful windows surround the children’s area, enjoy the park and the beach just steps away…if you are looking for lunch, coffee or ice cream you will find plenty of options along Queen Street.