SIRS Unveils Print of Toronto Public Library at Summer ALA

BOCA RATON, FL, June 24, 2003 - SIRS unveiled and raffled a framed original of the twelfth print in its SIRS Celebrates Public Libraries Collection - the Toronto Public Library - at a luncheon yesterday that they co-sponsored with the Freedom to Read Foundation at ALA in Toronto. Josephine Bryant, the City Librarian of Toronto, and Barbara Myrvold, Service Specialist - Local History at the library, were on hand to assist with the unveiling. Barbara was instrumental in helping SIRS with information on the library, and provided a historical overview to the audience about the origins of the library and the Mechanics' Institute, which is where the library was first housed.

Ontario's first free library, the Toronto Public Library, officially opened in 1884 in the Toronto Mechanics' Institute. The building, designed in 1854 by F.W. Cumberland and G.W. Storm and opened in 1861 had contained a separate reading room, a lecture hall and a large music hall. The purpose of the Mechanics' Institute was to educate workers by providing not only reading materials but also classes ranging from philosophy and music to science, electricity and architectural drawing.

In 1830, the Toronto Mechanics' Institute, which was originally called the York Mechanics' Institute, was established. It wasn't until 1834 when the town of York became the city of Toronto that the institute was renamed. The Mechanics' Institutes of Ontario were gradually transformed into free public libraries with the passage of the Free Libraries Act of 1882. The Toronto Public Library was established in 1883, and a year later it took over the book collections and building of the Toronto Mechanics' Institute.

The library moved to a new facility in 1909 that was constructed with Carnegie funds. The old building continued to serve as a branch library until 1928 and was demolished in 1949. Today, the Toronto Public Library, with its 98 branches is recognized as the largest public library system in North America serving more than 2.3 million Canadians. In 2001, the library held the proud distinction of being the world's second most used public library by circulation after Hong Kong.

In 1927, Chief Librarian George H. Locke was the first Canadian to be president of the American Library Association. In June of the same year, the association held its annual meeting in Toronto. Seventy-six years later, this month, Toronto once again hosted the American Library Association conference.

SIRS Celebrates Public Libraries Collection was established to honor public libraries almost three years ago and have become one of the most popular items at public and school library association conferences. Many librarians frame the prints and hang them in their libraries.

The prints in the series are created by artist Joe Davis, a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts). Davis' work has been widely exhibited throughout the United States and Japan and has appeared in national magazines and various movies.

For further information on SIRS Celebrates Public Libraries Collection or any of SIRS products, please contact SIRS Customer Service at custserve@sirs.com, call 1-800-232-7477 (press #1) or visit the SIRS Celebrates Public Libraries Collection online.

SIRS Publishing, Inc. is a leading provider of online, CD-ROM and print reference databases to more than 50,000 libraries worldwide. For further information on the Lewis & Clark Photo Essays or any SIRS products, please contact SIRS Customer Service at 1-800-232-7477 (press "1") or e-mail media@sirs.com.